Competing for the Vital Center
Are Democrats ready to embrace the center in the Culture War? by Bruce Wilson
This article reflects my observation that the Democrats, with the leadership of Rahm Emanuel and Charles Schumer, have strategically moved towards the center to capture the support of Middle America.
“…In many cases it was the first time in decades that voters could vote for a Democrat who was pro-life, against legalization of same-sex marriage, supportive of responsible firearm ownership, comfortable talking about his or her own personal faith and willing to allow everyone – including Christians – the opportunity to express their own faith in the public square.
…The dirty little secret of the Culture War is that it’s an artificial stalemate created by extremists on the right and left and perpetuated by a media that thrives on conflict and whose members often sympathize with one side or the other.
…the Pew study found that 66 percent of Americans think that abortion should not be generally available. There isn’t complete agreement on what restrictions should be in place, but there is agreement that current law is not restrictive enough. The study also found that 56 percent of Americans oppose gay marriage and only 35 percent favor it.
…Harris consistently reports that 60 percent of Americans favor stricter gun control and an even larger 70 percent majority favors stricter control of assault weapons.
…Gallup found that 54 percent of Americans think that state sponsorship of religion is harmful, but 58 percent support the right of any religion to exercise free speech.
My preference is for the two parties to compete for this vital center and find satisfying compromises. The Democrats are making progress while the GOP is purging moderates. I’m baffled. Even if Mr. Bush miraculously pulls off an acceptable resolution to the Middle East conflicts, our country is going to want to turn its attention to domestic issues for which the GOP is unpreparing.
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14 Responses to “Competing for the Vital Center”
Iraq war, the war on christmas, and now culture wars?
Damn, what happened to the cute idea of ‘peace for all mankind’???
:-/
That’s strangely written as though the two stands are contradictory. In fact, if you believe in freedom of religion, both are vital. They aren’t centrist positions so much as they are the ideological basis of American culture.
The lesson learned here is that in a diverse society, it is too restrictive for both major parties to hold rock solid positions on issues and walk in lock-step, rather than find concensus from all different types of opinions. I was heartened that the Democrats decided to drop their self-defeating practice of running only candidates that met a liberal litmus test- pro-gay marriage, pro-choice, etc. That is what led to their success. If the GOP continues to purge moderates, and pander to its right wing supporters, they will lose more ground in ’08.
What’s going on is, as much as anything else, a struggle over how we talk about these issues. No talk here of criminalization of abortion, institutionalizing discrimination against homosexuals, supporting proliferation of firearms of all kinds, breaking down separation of church and state, and enabling proselytizers.
The problem really isn’t so much that people disagree about the issues involved, as that they make these disagreements a matter of tribal identity. It’s usually conservatives who complain about (link)==> identity politics, but these issues are simply another form of identity politics that works better for them.
The problem with identity politics of all kinds is the undermining of rational debate about how to solve problems. Democrats succeeded in this round at taking some of the hot button issues off the table, but I think the electorate remains overwhelmingly vulnerable to appeals to identity politics.
I actually think these issues ought to remain on the table, but we all need to learn to handle them better.
I was heartened that the Democrats decided to drop their self-defeating practice of running only candidates that met a liberal litmus test- pro-gay marriage, pro-choice, etc.
There’s never been a liberal litmus test on gay marriage. Howard Dean, Joe Lieberman, John Kerry, John Edwards, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama – all these people have stated positions opposing gay marriage. Al Gore opposed it when supporting the DOMA during the Clinton administration, although his opinion may have changed since.
You have to go to Russ Feingold and Dennis Kucinich before you find open advocacy of gay marriage, and neither of these men has been embraced by the party leadership.
As for abortion, Harry Reid has been the Democrat’s Senate leader for years, despite opposing abortion. Joe Lieberman lost his popularity over the war, not his desire to limit abortion rights. And many democrats voted to restrict late-term abortions, without losing their seats.
There hasn’t been a self-defeating practice of running only candidates that meet these liberal litmus tests, because these litmus tests don’t exist in the party.
I would assume that someone who wants Democratic Party domination would support the idea of fighting over the middle. Why? Because the Democratic Party can count of 90% support from Blacks and 70% support from Hispanics and Asians with little regard for the Democratic Party’s position on issues.
In the long run it is much more likely that someone like Bernie Sanders will get what he wants in government programs than for someone like Jim Webb to get what he wants in government programs.
The dirty little secret of ultra-left Democrats has been that they have been allowed to define any prayer in school, or moment of silence, as state sponsorship of religion. Ditto the Pledge of Allegiance and other demonstrations of faith, including Christmas references in public spaces.
And Mikef, I can speak as an ex-Dem political organizer and campaign aide that there are many litmus tests in the Democratic Party, although they may vary from state to state and constituency to constituency. Basically, the ultra-left has a veto on centrist candidates until Shumer and Emanuel [whom a friend of mine baby-sat in Chicago] finally recognized that the Gresham’s Law of lefty nuttiness was at work.
Thank God we may get back a two-party system, as I have evolved to right-centrist, but want a choice from time to time.
Superdestroyer,
I thought that the GOP had been picking up support from middle class Blacks, Hispanics and Asians who were interested in protecting their achievments.
Do you think that political distinctions will become less about race than they are about social and economic classes?
.
I’m sure every organization has its particular causes and demands, but we’re talking about the Democratic party as a whole here. Your statement alone makes the case – issues may vary from state to state and constituency to constituency. That’s normal politics, not a litmus test.
We’re not talking about the 1970′s here. The Democrat’s have drawn from a wide variety of views for the last 20 years or more. Joe Lieberman was a Democratic star, despite being socially conservative. Bill Clinton rejected the welfare state and triangulated on most issues (the Republicans constantly accused him of stealing their issues). Hillary speaks about flag burning and video-game violence, Al Gore sponsored the law putting parental guidance ratings on music CD’s. Joe Biden pushed bankruptcy reform designed to benefit the credit card industry. Zell Miller was considered as a VP candidate for Gore until Lieberman was chosen in his place. These are major leaders in the Democratic party. You simply can’t point to a liberal litmus test in the recent past.
On the other hand, Republicans do have several litmus tests.
1. You must support cutting taxes – (balanced budgets, deficits and emergency spending are irrelevant to this issue.) This is probably the fundamental test for all Republicans.
2. You must oppose gay marriage. Preferably publicly and loudly.
3. You must oppose all forms of gun control.
4. You must support deregulation of industry. (Eliminating labor and environmental protections in particular)
5. Finally, if you’re running for President, you must oppose abortion. No exceptions.
Great points from Bruce Wilson. I have long argued that Democrats have no choice but to move toward the center on social issues while embracing economic populism and a strong stand on national security matters.
Secularists and social liberals make up a small minority of the national population. I have no desire to drive gay rights activists, abortion rights and gun control supporters out the party but we cannot allow such an agenda to define the Democratic Party. A Democratic majority must include social traditionalists.
Democrats need to focus on championing the interests of working and class families.
Actually, most Americans are secularists. You seem to be confusing the term with atheist.
The problem isn’t that Democrats are too liberal. The problem is that America is too conservative. It’s interesting that the less “religious” people are, the more educated and “liberal” they tend to be. Perhaps the solution isn’t for Democrats to move to the center, but to invest more on education, instead of wars for big oil and PNAC.
on education==in education
hehe
It is such a crock that many of you THINK the right wing christians WANT state sponsored Religion. That is so much paranoid delusions on your part.
It is specifically forbidden in the constitutuion and even us WHacko Christians understand that.
I was however very excited that Democratic candidates would embrace the general topics contained in this statement:
“…In many cases it was the first time in decades that voters could vote for a Democrat who was pro-life, against legalization of same-sex marriage, supportive of responsible firearm ownership, comfortable talking about his or her own personal faith and willing to allow everyone – including Christians – the opportunity to express their own faith in the public square.
THIS IS PRECISELY WHERE AMERICA IS AT AS A NATION. It is not on the fringe RIGHT or the fringe LEFT. Michael Moore or Jerry Falwell do not REFLECT the views of anything remotely representing a majority of Americans.
I have preached MIDDLE< MODERATE< TOLERANCE< Working together in a unified……NOT BIPARTISAN but unified way. Unified in the good of America. I am crossing my fingers with this congress……but the left will not let the moderates have their way because the moderates are NEW and have no power.