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TIME Says Centrism Is Cool
Just a few questions…how do we capitalize on this win, divide the country and make a hell of a lot of money in the process? Anybody? Thoughts?
Click the pic for the story from TIME.
15 Responses to “TIME Says Centrism Is Cool”
Justin… A great find!
“…and make a hell of a lot of money in the process?”
Hahahahaha…Joe Our Host should sell TMV to Google (they will end up owning the Internet eventually anyhow)…and then retire in the Seychelle islands with his billions.
We might be “cool� but will we be taken seriously? The key will be how the Dems and Republicans work with each other, partisanship and rants will show neither side learned. What both parties also needs to understand “the other side did it first� won’t play either, keep your own house in order, let the other side worry about theirs.
I sent off this modest request to the Leading Centrist Political Organizations:
Dear DLC, RMSP and IMP,
May I request that you consider a Centrist policy-oriented Blog and PAC as a collaboration of the DLC, Republican Main Street Partnership and Its My Party too.
The general theme would be “What are reasonable compromises and why?”
Your supporters have more in common with each other than they do with the extreme wings of their parties. We are enthusiastic about pragmatic compromises that move our society forward.
Most political Blogs are venues for rants, gossip and quibbling. Perhaps you can help provide a civil information exchange that brings readers together rather than pushing them apart. You would help bring “facts” and informed insight into the discussions. It would allow for civil discuss about the differences in the Republican and Democrat approach to issues. In many ways it might be an alternative to the inflammatory talk radio community. It would help educate a small motivated army of activists who would influence others.
Such a Blog may come to emulate the online traffic at Daily Kos, Huffington Post. And become a leading contact point for the press.
One way to make a little money is to form a national Centrist PAC to provide seed money to centrist candidates in tight districts.
A small staff could collect modest compensation.
When will folks begin to understand that “centrist” policy leads to conservative government?
We are not a parliamentary system.
A right wing executive and a centrist legislature does not result in moderate government.
If you want centrist results as opposed to centrist pontification, moderates should push for a confrontational, left-wing legislature.
Andrew,
I hope you are wrong.
Heck, parties do not even get how they got the vote to begin with – or how to retain it.
So Andrew,
The last six years have worked perfectly okay then, haven’t they…?
Let’s take our cues from the voters, and our philosophy from Harry Truman: “walk softly and carry a big stick”. Voters want oversight and accountability. Let’s give it to them.
We need to be very careful with language. This is not about “politics as usual” but about being “businesslike” and “realistic”. We have billions of dollars unaccounted for in Iraq. Being businesslike means looking into those contracts and negotiations to see if the government has behaved like a business would in getting the best deal, assuring the money was spent as promised and the results are in line with the contract. If not, we need to change the guidelines for government contracting (ie. no more no-bid contracts, severe penalties for “missing” funds). Nothing is as reprehensible to American voters as war profiteering. We need to look at all the records to determine if some of that “lost” money can be recovered and returned to its original purpose. Likewise, with the prescription drug benefit, we need to determine if there was corruption at play in the decision to forbid our government from negotiating better prices from the pharmaceutical companies. If there was, we need better rules to prevent that in the future.
The point is, we need to remind Americans at every turn that the Democrats are committed to running our government in a mature and businesslike fashion, taking an unflinching look at what we can learn from past mistakes. I have no doubt that the revelations resulting from these investigations will be painful for Republicans. But my goal is not to punish Republicans, but to assure that there are laws, policies and procedures that absolutely require our government to work on our behalf, not on behalf of lobbyists.
“We” do not – Democrats have that burden – it’s a burden that the Republicans failed to do.
“So Andrew,
The last six years have worked perfectly okay then, haven’t they…?”
No, obviously not. A right wing executive AND legislature (to say nothing of a judiciary trending to the right because of the other two branches) obviously equals an extreme right wing government.
“Andrew,
I hope you are wrong.”
What does this mean? That you hope we become parlimentary? Because that’s what it will take.
This is such a simple concept and the failure of centrists to grasp it are why liberals and thinking moderates are so disgusted by many centrists right now.
It would work the other way as well: A left wing executive plus a “centrist” legislature does not equal moderate government.
As long as there are primaries, centrist candidates will not often win elections. To balance this, the other parts of government must be as equally “radical,” but in the other political direction.
So the AM radio hate squad just gets a pass then? No repercussions at all?
Centrist are predominantly low information voters who pretty much make up their mind by watching tweety and punkinhead the last Sunday before an election. Present company is the exception, not the rule.
The idea that our elections are to be decided by people who essentially don’t care is fairly ludicrous, but thats the way the chad hangs.
SnarkyShark said: “Centrist are predominantly low information voters who pretty much make up their mind by watching tweety and punkinhead the last Sunday before an election. Present company is the exception, not the rule.”
At the risk of sounding like an arrogant Marxist talking patronizingly about the masses…I must agree with comrade Shark here.
Most people don’t know and, sadly, don’t really care.
Folks here at TMV seem to be very smart, and quickly respond with links and points and references to this and that political issue.
But have you guys ever had the experience of doing that in the “real world” when a political point comes up…and folks look at you like you have three heads?
Well, maybe it’s just me
Damn. I can’t believe it. I have to agree with Marlowecan.
This happens all the time to me.