Challenging the False Reality of "Centrism"

[minionofmidas]

Has it occurred to this author that centrism carries many more guises than just the DLC-brand? 

I consider myself more or less centrist, but more in the populist sense, with moderate-to-conservative (or rather states' rights) views with regard to such hot-button issues like abortion, with strong support for a hawkish and internationalist foreign policy and full support for our military, while retaining moderate-to-liberal economic positions.

Where do I fit in his little article?

You sound more like a Republican than a Democrat.

Does he? If so, the Democratic party is clearly dead.

He doesn't...but in that post, he doesn't really sound more like a Democrat than a Republican either. Lots of people who think like that and vote Republican. Especially among Southern Whites.

DemoHawk - I can only partially agree with you here. While of course, a Democratic Party that gives up the entire "centre" (whatever that is, exactly) is indeed bound to lose every election in the current US election system, the Democrats need just as much to keep the fringes happy to give them a reason to keep voting for them. Especially in midterms with their low turnout. Of course, the Republicans are in exactly the same situation.

[minionofmidas]

Where exactly would the fringes go? The GOP

Remember Ralph Nader?

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Agree with you here.

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Or to put it another way, moderate Democrats are less likely to actually get involved and do more than cast their vote than more extremist ones. (The same holds of Republicans.) So what's your point again?

[minionofmidas]

Where exactly would the fringes go? The GOP

Remember Ralph Nader?

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Agree with you here.

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Or to put it another way, moderate Democrats are less likely to actually get involved and do more than cast their vote than more extremist ones. (The same holds of Republicans.) So what's your point again?

If the left want to go to the likes of Ralph Nader and cut their noses off to spite their faces, that's their problem not mine but since I do care about the Democratic Party, I am likely to lose sleep over it . I sometimes wish I could give two hoots

Indeed...a "to hell with the left" attitude is just as much of a cutting your nose off as a "to hell with the center" attitude.

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Are you sure that that's true? And what definition are you using for the terms here? (Okay, se I guess the definition you're using is "self-described".)

[minionofmidas]

This thread became exactly what I didn't want it to be. The old "moderates" vs. "liberals" debate.

This is the key passage from the article: "Is this really true? Is a corporate agenda really "centrism"? Or is it only "centrist" among Washington's media elite, influence peddlers and out-of-touch political class?"

Thoughts on that passage?

Ah that. No, no, and yes.

[minionofmidas]

I believe the answer lies due to the increasing saliency among the electorate of social issues and moral values

And race. Okay, especially race.

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Reactionary means wanting to restore an already gone past. Given that Roe vs Wade was thirty years ago, pro-life is technically reactionary...or maybe it's actually modern, but it surely is not technically a conservative position.

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I'd assume Sirota is referring mostly to people who're leftist economically as well as socially - not people as described in the next sentence:

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Of course, the reasons why that makes sense are obvious.

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In what sense? (I'll leave the whole international perspective out for the moment, it confuses or perhaps clarifies matters further.)