Is An Even Moderately Organized Center Attainable?
The Gun Toting Liberal asks in a post: “Why must the ‘Mighty Middle’ detest each other in the political blogosphere?”
It’s an interesting question because it touches on whether centrists can become organized and actually serve as a political force — rather than be perceived by many people in both parties as political leftovers. GTL writes:
We’re the “libertarians�… the “moderates�… the “independents�… the “centrists�… the “swing voters� of the blogosphere, yet we avoid each other like the plague while our more dedicated left and right brothers and sisters support, quote, and link to each other in digital support groups. So what makes we independent bloggers different? Wouldn’t it make sense for we independent thinkers to stick together and promote each other like our left and right brethren do so well? I have a theory; and feel free to correct me if I am wrong.
Read the rest of the post to learn more about that…but on the point he raised above, here are a few thoughts:
There are excellent blogs on the left and right who have formed informal communities, and they link frequently to each other. We link to almost everyone who is thoughtful, which is a bit unusual. But we’ve often noted that centrist and moderate blogs don’t link much to each other — although they talk about wanting to do that and wanting other weblogs to link to them.
The result? Since many centrist and moderate blogs don’t link to each other and they’re too far right or left for some progressive and conservative blogs, they find it hard to get additional readers. And since there is a tepid or at least noncohesive centrist internet community, many centrist weblogs wither on the cyberspace vine or simply can’t grow.
Over the past year some centrists have flown to an American city to discuss how to make centrist influence better felt in elections. And centrists were felt in the elections…but not due to any mid-boggling organization — mostly because the Bush administration and the GOP in Congress strayed too far from what John Avlon documents in Independent Nation (click on icon on the bottom left hand side of this site to read about and/or buy this vital book) as the country’s anchor of basic centrism.
Similarly, if weblogs are to become increasingly important as virtual rallying points for political ideas and activists, centrist and moderate blogs remain shockingly segmented. There seems little real effort to link among each other and the lack of solid community will have an adverse impact.
On the other hand, centrists and moderates are NOT a monolithic group; there are no opinion polls showing 100 percent agreement among moderates and centrists. And within the umbrella-category words “moderate” and “centrist” little spokes of differing viewpoints support the umbrellas’ whole cloth. For instance, read GTL’s whole post and you’ll see he’s fascinated that he’s being considered a centrist.
He also writes:
If we can band together at the ballot boxes to topple “business as usual� in Washington in the recent mid-term elections, then we can most certainly band together in the blogosphere I would think.
We would think. And we have thought. And we do think. But we personally remain skeptical. Yes, we’ve been wrong before…and right also. Now isn’t THAT a “wussie moderate” assertion? But it’s true.
The one certainty is: centrists have a way to go before they resemble the lively and cohesive progressive and conservative communities on the Internet.
Read GTL’s entire post.
6 Responses to “Is An Even Moderately Organized Center Attainable?”
Appreciate the link and the thoughtful dialogue as usual, Joe.
Not sure how much I like the word “centrist”, frankly. I’m starting to lean more toward the point of view that we “centrists” may have one main thing in common — a populist goal, whether we arrive there by conservatism, liberalism, libertarianism, authoritarianism, or a combination of the above.
Nevertheless; we should all realize that even if we perceive ourselves to be conservatives with an asterix; liberals with an asterix; independents with an asterix; etc.; as long as those asterixes remain, we are apparently “centrists” and “moderates” to everybody else.
We aren’t even organized enough yet to be recognized as a “trainwreck”. At least people pause and rubberneck at trainwrecks; they just move along without noticing anything at all when it comes to we “centrists”.
And the funny thing is… its so easy. I think that one of the problems is that ‘centrists’ are very individualistic.
Anyway, what centrist blogs should understand is that it is mutual beneficial for them to link to each other (this is only the start, but it has to start like that).
That’s one of the reasons why Joe and I decided to publish Center of Attention every couple of days, but centrist blogs should link to each other on a daily basis, obviously, as well. Just in ‘normal’ articles. It’s not difficult to do. All that is needed, are 5 bigger centrist blogs, who exchange e-mails with each other and agree to link to each other more often, perhaps through sending e-mails with links to interesting posts of oneself / another centrist blogger, etc.
Coordination takes only 10 minutes a day, but it keeps decreasing hits away.
Although Gun Toting Liberal claims to be Moderate most of their posters are considerably far left, although I would not characterize them as the whacko far left. More like the thoughful, reflective far left. Just my opinion.
I spent some time there posting and its a good site with good people. I would recommend folk visiting this site and giving it a try. There are libertarian posters who show up and post so for those of you wanting to get a taste of what Libertarians believe…..This is a great site.
As for the centrist/moderate point of view. It is where this country was 40 years ago. Politics has become a game of divide and conquer by polarizing Americans on issues. Just as the Democrats used the war in IRAQ to once again polarize for the sole purpose of getting elected. However notice that the far left did not get elected. The far right got beat up. The point……..America is sick and tired of YOU and ME debating our little pet peeves over and over and over again.
That is why Centrist/Moderate Blogs have such a hard time with readership…..Who wants to tune in and listen to a boring……kumbyeah….slapping the back of each other posts for saying the same things over and over again. That is why Reality shows are so popular on TV. That is why DRAMA rules on TV now. People want DRAMA and reality and singing kumbyeahh does not do it for them………..especially on blogs where the folks that visit them ususally have definite Political Views to share or express.
Centrism for me is more about temperament than specific policies. It is about making the effort to seek comon ground and reconcile means and ends.
I believe that it is in this area a vital dialogue can be expanded to attract those commenters with open minds and a strong sense of pragmatism.
I am thinking about a series of posts that present both sides of a controvsial issue and ask commented to specifically propose how they would reconcile the two.
Great discussion, and I’d just like to take a moment to thank UpinSmoke for his extremely kind comments. We miss ya, bro! Blog ON
Upinsmoke- I have to disagree with you about moderate sites. I agree that people want conflict, but they also want conflict resolution. We have enough differing opinions hear at TMV among posters and commenters that it keeps the discussion quite lively. I have found myself agreeing with people who are polar opposites of my political leanings, and no one was more surprised than I was. Also, it is very satisfying when those opposites find themselves agreeing with my point of view.
I guess its a matter of taste. I’d rather spend my time finding solutions than bashing other people for what they honestly believe.