" />

The Moderate Voice

An Internet hub with domestic and international news, analysis, original reporting, and popular features from the left, center, indies, centrists, moderates, and right


You are here: Home / Home

In Defense of Debate

by 11 Comments

Wrote one reader, in response to my recent post about the end of political parties: All of this post-partisan stuff is rubbish. People will disagree with each other for as long as there are politics and people to take part in them. While this reader might be surprised to hear it, I agree. I have no expectation that the end of political parties would end political … [Read more...] about In Defense of Debate

McCain and Obama to Have “Sit-Down”

by 4 Comments

File this under "things I didn't see coming" but it appears that John McCain and President-Elect Obama will be having a long meeting in Chicago this week. After fiercely competing against each other for five months, President-elect Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain are scheduled to have their first post-election meeting Monday at the transition headquarters in Chicago. "It's … [Read more...] about McCain and Obama to Have “Sit-Down”

ROBERT JOHNSON: AN APPRECIATION

by Leave a Comment

WHEN THE TRAIN / LEFT THE STATION / IT HAD TWO LIGHTS ON BEHIND / WELL, THE BLUE LIGHT WAS MY BLUES / AND THE RED LIGHT WAS MY MIND / ALL MY LOVE'S IN VAIN. -- ROBERT JOHNSON Son House, the great blues singer and slide guitarist, delighted in telling people that when he first met Robert Johnson, he couldn't play guitar to save his life. But the young man was persistent and … [Read more...] about

ROBERT JOHNSON: AN APPRECIATION

Chandrayaan: India On The Moon

by 1 Comment

With India's first Moon Impact Probe landing on the moon's surface Friday, the country has become a major player in the exclusive 21st century space race. "India planted a flag of sorts on the moon today as a probe painted in the national colors of green, white and orange slammed into the lunar landscape," reports Bloomberg. "The foil-wrapped Moon Impact Probe photographed … [Read more...] about Chandrayaan: India On The Moon

General Ann Dunwoody: Shattering Barriers

by 1 Comment

General Ann Dunwoody has become the first woman in American history to be promoted to the rank of a four-star general, the highest rank in the US army. Dunwoody will head the Army Materiel Command, one of the Pentagon's largest outfits that is responsible for worldwide logistical and supply operations. "Coming less than two weeks after Barack Obama became the first African … [Read more...] about General Ann Dunwoody: Shattering Barriers

Sarah Palin and “Extreme Partisanship”

by 4 Comments

I must admit, Sarah Palin sounds better (or reads better) when she's speaking to her fellow Republican governors about "conservative solutions to these economic challenges" than when she's stirring up vicious mobs at hate-filled rallies on the campaign trail. Not that I approve of "conservative solutions," but at least she was coherent today. Besides, I'm not entirely against … [Read more...] about Sarah Palin and “Extreme Partisanship”

Barack and Hillary: Team of Allies?

by 5 Comments

Obama and Hillary met in Chicago yesterday and apparently discussed what role she might play in Obama's administration. Secretary of State remains at the top of the rumour mill, and, as I put it earlier today, although I would prefer Kerry for the job, strictly in terms of policy considerations, I am certainly intrigued by the idea of Hillary and Obama working together, if that … [Read more...] about Barack and Hillary: Team of Allies?

Innate Moral Spheres Key to Group Differences?

by 5 Comments

As I alluded to in my first post, the foundations of morality and its influence on individual and group behavior is a growing interest amongst social and cognitive scientists. Based on genetics studies and better brain imaging, it's becoming readily clear that humans aren't tabula rasa, even as we have to accept that it will long (if not always) be a mystery to how nature … [Read more...] about Innate Moral Spheres Key to Group Differences?

Making an Invisible Minority Less Invisible (Guest Voice)

by 1 Comment

Did the media cover the full racial aspects of Barack Obama's run or did they miss some aspects? And since his election as President, has there been a shift? Has there been a renewed interest in minorities -- not only in politics, but in other aspects of American life? In this Guest Voice post, journalism professor and author Walter Brasch looks at some of these issues. Guest … [Read more...] about Making an Invisible Minority Less Invisible (Guest Voice)

Joining TMV

by 16 Comments

After many years of reading TMV I finally took the plunge and asked to join as a writer, and I’d like to thank Joe for accepting it. I’m sure greasing his palms through the years didn’t hurt and now that he’s successful enough to hang out with celebrities I thought I’d call in the favor. My focus is going to be a little bit different and I want to spend this first post talking … [Read more...] about Joining TMV

Palin Saboteurs Want to Kill Her Career Now (Guest Voice)

by 17 Comments

Is former Republican ticket Veep candidate Gov. Sarah Palin getting a bum wrap? In this Guest Voice column, authors and speakers Floyd and Marth Beth Brown argue that Palin has been targeted by the party's Old Guard. Guest Voice posts do not necessarily reflect the opinion of TMV or its writers. Palin Saboteurs Want to Kill Her Career Now By Floyd and Mary Beth … [Read more...] about Palin Saboteurs Want to Kill Her Career Now (Guest Voice)

Texas School District Solves Immigration Problem

by 7 Comments

As I said yesterday, what this country needs today is less partisan bickering and more people willing to find creative, goal oriented solutions to real problems. Today, my friend Ed Morrissey brings to light a group of educators in Texas who are doing just that. In a move sure to draw praise from immigration reform advocates around the nation, one Dallas school district has … [Read more...] about Texas School District Solves Immigration Problem

Clinton at State…Does It Make Sense?

by 1 Comment

For any incoming President, building a Cabinet team can be a bit like piecing together a puzzle. Even if you don't begin with a nod to identity politics, pledging as Bill Clinton did during his transition to the presidency, to have a Cabinet that "looks like America," presidents want to have teams that bring not only competence, but also allow them to placate various groups … [Read more...] about Clinton at State…Does It Make Sense?

Biggest Drop In U.S. Retail Sales In October On Record

by Leave a Comment

A sign once again of the troubled economy President-Elect Barack Obama will be inheriting from President George Bush comes in the latest retail sales figures -- which show the month of October set an unfortunate and troubling record: Retail sales and prices of goods imported to the U.S. dropped by the most on record, signaling the economy may be in its worst slump in … [Read more...] about Biggest Drop In U.S. Retail Sales In October On Record

Representing “Material Cooperation with Intrinsic Evil”

by 33 Comments

For many years I looked at the Roman Catholic Church, in the modern era despite the efforts of Pope John Paul II, as remarkably open-minded and receptive to ideas that were not necessarily compatible with the orthodoxy pronounced by the central authority. Part of this view was influenced by the first college I attended, Christian Brothers College, now Christian Brothers … [Read more...] about Representing “Material Cooperation with Intrinsic Evil”