Political moderates have principles, which is why it is wrong to claim that they don’t.
Being a political moderate means that . . .
. . . one is flexible when it comes to gray areas. Whether or not one admits it, plenty of gray areas exist in politics. Compromise is necessary in order for the more-than-300 million people in the USA to live peacefully next to each other, and compromise isn’t a dirty word.
. . . one is willing to acknowledge correct statements of any party regardless of that party’s political beliefs.
. . . one is willing to dispute incorrect statements of any party regardless of that party’s political beliefs.
. . . one acknowledges that no political party has a monopoly on good ideas.
. . . one acknowledges that no political party has a monopoly on bad ideas.
. . . one acknowledges that no political party has a monopoly on bad behavior.
. . . one rejects claims of moral superiority by any political party.
. . . one promotes fairness for all parties even if one doesn’t like all parties.
. . . one does not support political echo chambers.
. . . one does not try to avoid unpleasant reality by hiding in a political echo chamber.
. . . one wants the rule of law to be applied in a way that is humane.
. . . one doesn’t abandon the rule of law because one feels pity for another.
. . . one works to change laws that one doesn’t like instead of just turning a blind eye toward those laws.
Mark Penn has more to say about political moderates :
I am an unrepentant moderate. In a world of right, alt-right, left and Antifa, I remain in the center, even as we seem to be entering a period of ascendancy of the left in the Democratic Party, and a realignment of the Republican Party towards more conservative principles.
The funny thing is, most of the country has moderate views too.
Most people don’t support “Medicare for all” once they find out the price tag; nor are they for ending Medicare as we know it. They want affordable access to health insurance for everyone (including those with pre-existing conditions), and health care that is top quality, cost effective and innovative.
The majority of Americans oppose open borders, but are also against closing our borders. They want comprehensive immigration reform with strong borders and a path to citizenship for those who are here and willing to work for it.
Frustrated by gun violence, few Americans want people walking around our streets with assault weapons. But they also don’t want all guns to be confiscated. They favor sensible gun safety measures like better background checks, and for it to be illegal to sell a gun to someone under 21.
But you’d never know this from watching television or browsing the Internet, where only two strident poles of public opinion seem to exist.
. . . Everyone loves to hate moderates now, and yet it was moderates who decided the last midterm elections. They are the biggest political bloc in the country, and they deserve an America that reflects their views.
I hope that my fellow moderates understand that . . .
. . . a party is presumed innocent of an accusation until proven guilty. This principle was abandoned by the Democratic Party during the Brett Kavanaugh controversy.
. . . freedom of speech doesn’t mean that one has a right to force another private party to transmit one’s speech. YouTube is a private party and, as such, has freedom of speech.
. . . freedom of the press doesn’t mean that one has a right to force another private party to publish one’s speech. Twitter is a private party and, as such, has freedom of the press.
. . . freedom of religion means the one has the freedom to not conform to another person’s religious beliefs. Also, those who practice their religion peacefully shouldn’t be punished because others of the same religion don’t practice it peacefully.
. . . an evil heritage isn’t something to be proud of. An evil heritage associated with a particular region is still an evil heritage.
. . . the U.S. Constitution forbids turning the USA into a theocracy, and the U.S. Constitution forbids religious litmus tests for people running for public office.
. . . when government grows, liberty shrinks. Thus, the government should be kept at a necessary minimum.
. . . the will of the people in the USA is expressed through their representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives, not through angry mobs or through petitions signed by a minority of U.S. residents.
. . . every political party seeks to protect those who make major financial contributions to that party, even if those making the contributions are saying and doing things that are wrong.
. . . equal opportunity doesn’t guarantee equal results.
. . . it takes more than hard work to accumulate wealth through honest means. One must also take personal risks.
. . . reality isn’t always pleasant, and those who can’t handle unpleasant reality try to censor and silence those who reveal it.
The “Wanted” posters say the following about David: “Wanted: A refugee from planet Melmac masquerading as a human. Loves cats. If seen, contact the Alien Task Force.”