Originally Posted by Lemurmania
Heh, in the U.S.A. we have two center parties. With fringe benefits, or rather beneficiaries.
It's strange here. The parties' variance in actual policy is not nearly as huge as the rhetorical divide would indicate. The reason being that both donkeys and elephants know that if they alienate the mass of moderate voters they'll be out on their ear within an election cycle. But the rhetoric and partisanship is really breathtaking.
Here's a fun factoid: Since I could never register as a Democrat or a Republican with a straight face, I'm not allowed to vote in primaries. Yes, in my state independents are barred from all primary elections. Fun, innit?
Frankly, being a moderate sucks. Listen to the fire-breathing rhetoric, the steely certitude of the extremists, and every now and then you think, "Boy, it must be fun to just grab on to a platform and let 'er rip." Wouldn't it be nice to bathe in that sea of certainties that only a fixed ideology can provide?
Oh well. Back to considering the issues one at a time. *yawn*