The Missing Middle

John Rauch has a great piece up at the National Journal about political moderates, called "Where the Missing Middle Went." As a non-partisan, I find it a fascinating read. Most people are not die-hard conservatives or liberals, so why does everything seem so polarized? You would think that moderate candidates would triumph, so why don't the two parties field more moderates? Rauch has some theories.

I hope everybody will give the article a read, but here are some highlights:

One problem with my view is this: Party leaders aren't idiots. Why would they neglect this vast independent center if it is up for grabs? Various answers suggest themselves (for example, primary elections are dominated by fierce partisans who prefer extreme candidates), but another answer is possible. Perhaps independents are not really up for grabs.

[snip]

The chart below shows how Americans have categorized their party ties since 1952. The deeper the color, the stronger the partisanship. Pure independents are the white band in the middle.

http://nationaljournal.com/img/buzz/021806rauch1.gif

The first finding that pops out is the basic stability of the country's partisan structure over more than five decades. The data show no major disruptions, though the triumphs of LBJ in 1964 and Ronald Reagan in 1984 are evident. The number of true independents has grown, but only to 10 percent of the electorate. They remain the smallest of factions.

Woo-hoo! Independents are at ten percent! And budget hawks are at three percent! We're gonna take over the world!

I'd like to hear what the orgiasts think of the article, so please, give it a read and fire back.

I don't think there is a missing middle. Its hard to really put anyone into a box where they are right or left. I'm guilty of that all the time here. Its just easier to label someone liberal or conservative, right or left, what have you. It depends on the issue. Plus, on this board, I'm sure that most state their opinions to a higher degree of uncivility simply because we are strangers behind the mask of the keyboard and have more of tendency to overstate our opinions out of frustration from the breakdown of cummunication throught the written word. If you met me in real life, the words "liberal" or "conservative" would probably never enter into our conversation.:2thumbsup:

DevDave, I wasn't commenting on the dialogue here. The article deals more with national-level politics, and why both parties find it advantageous to pander to their extremes while neglecting the independents and middle-of-the-roaders. As for the Backroom, hey, it's an internet politics board. Nobody expects it to be tea and crumpets all day long. (Although the mods have been doing admirable work to raise the tone of the discussion, for which I salute them.)

Ever see the Red vs Blue episode about real life versus the internet? They have a good comment on how politics plays out.

Sorry, let me get back on target...

Playing to the base, that's what the parties do during election cycles. There is no room for centrists, unfortunately, during Prime time. Good article, it highlights not just the symptoms, but the root cause.

BTW, nice Anne Coultier jab thrown at me in an earlier thread. If I were to not act the way I do in here, there would be many that would be disappointed. People prefer me more as a cartoon than a rational person and I'm here to please.:laugh4:

DevDave, I'm not sure that acting the way people expect you to act is always the best policy. That's why I run naked screaming through my town at least once every six months, just to shake things up. Sometimes I set myself on fire, since that really throws them off.

This bit of the article helped explain something that's has me puzzled -- why do I get called "liberal" so often in here, and why do I feel more and more at odds with the Republican party? It's not as though I feel anything for the Dems, and it's not as though my positions are particularly favorable to one party or the other.

Finally, look at true independents. Since 1984, they have moved toward the Democratic column by a whopping 30 points, with an especially large lurch toward Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., in 2004. Yet, over the same period, independents have grown less liberal and more moderate. Why, then, are they turning blue? The fierceness of the Republican base seems to have repelled them. Polling in 2005, after the ANES data came in, has shown independents' support for Bush and the Republicans continuing to crumble at an alarming pace. Republicans' edge-oriented strategy has not come without cost in the center.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Devastatin Dave

If I were to not act the way I do in here, there would be many that would be disappointed. People prefer me more as a cartoon than a rational person and I'm here to please.:laugh4:

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:jumping: :juggle2: :whip:


Dance monkey Dance!

Couldn't resist. Actually if we met, you would never hear liberal or conservative out of my mouth either... at least until I figured out which one you were. Once I determined your party affiliation I would strategically convert you if you were a Democrat.

Your first mistake would be admitting you don't like Bush. I would laugh at Bush with you and show you the "Bush or Chimp" website. Then I would ascertain why you don't agree with the Iraq war, and naturally you will spill your guts because I, too, am a fellow Bush hater and you are vulnerable to my magic.

Once you explain why the Iraq War is so awful, I would show you the UN resolutions and ask your opinion rather than assert my own. At the first glimpse of you not being a total dark blue liberal psycho, I would reel you in with the Supreme Court Cases of New London and Raich. I would explain liberal constitutional interpretation and how it is taking away our rights.

Then I would demonstrate media bias across the board and show you how to filter information properly. You would be interested because everyone loves a conspiracy.

Finally, I would finish by explaining the ongoing eternal struggle of Democracy against Totalitarianism. I would show you that Democratic principles are based on dependence on government and Republican values are based on personal responsibility- power of the many vs power of the few.

Then comes the nail in your coffin: I explain that because you are such an independant thinker, you aren't really a Republican or a Democrat: You are a LIBERTARIAN. Yes. A Libertarian: A proponent of fiscal freedom, social freedom, and limited government. A constitutional conservative.

The rest is just downhill for you my former hippy friend. :2thumbsup: