Moving Goal Posts

I cautioned a friend recently on describing himself as a Centrist. Here's why.

There's nothing wrong with the new center being roughly where the old right used to be. Because the old right was fairly reasonable and worked with the good of the country at heart. Even if the left disagreed, compromise was usually possible. Problem is my friend belonged in the old center, and in continuing to describe himself this way (a mistake that President Obama made but then stopped) he is actually saying that his views have moved radically further right - which I know they have not. It's a horrible situation that many conservatives now find themselves in.

Now that the new right is leading the Republican party everything has changed. Which is why I feel sorry for my Republican friends because their views put them just right of where the old center was - no further right than that. And the only reasonable, caring thing for them to do is to vote for Obama next November. Because the Republicans are never going to field a candidate who represents the new center - they all come from that new right. And it's a truly inhumane, scary, racist, out-dated place where all decisions are left to god and climate change is not happening and possibly innocent men get executed.

And before someone suggests it, there has been no equivalent move to the left by liberals. We believe in pretty much the same things we've believed in for decades. The Tea Party - I hate using that phrase as it's a party you cannot vote for, they are REPUBLICANS! - is a new phenomenon that has impacted only one side of this equation. It may have entrenched some Liberal's views, which is good. But it has not shifted those views.

Comments

[Jeffshattuck]

If I've ever called myself a centrist, I'm not. And despite the lunacy of certain Republicans, their most radical ideas are no more loathsome to me the left's most radical ideas. To wit, all the religious moralizing of the Republicans, the hypocrisy around spending and their slavish devotion to the Constitution as though it were scripture (unless it doesn't serve their purposes, which is also like scripture!) is no scarier to me that the Democrats' wish for a command and control economy, their vilification of capitalism and their belief that the government can usually make better decisions than the common man. Sure, I suppose my beliefs put me somewhat in the center, but calling myself that feels like a copout, like a person whose principles aren't strong enough to endure a little change here and there. Which is why people who run as centrists lose. Plus, they're just no damn fun!

[Dave]

As always I'm not sure I share your views on the typical Democrat - not to say they don't have their share of loonies who shouldn't be in government for any party! Overall I think they recognize we live in a capitalist society but that it can be caring one.

As for making better decisions, you raise an interesting point. Naturally as someone lucky enough to be born smart you don't want others making your decisions. But think about your lovely new daughters...
there's no doubt, given their parents, that they will grow up physically healthy, physically attractive and probably of above-average intelligence. But suppose for just a second that none of those three things were the case. Wouldn't you want a caring society that would make sure they got all the healthcare they needed regardless of their ability to pay for it? A caring society that embraced them as "created equal" even if they lacked the intelligence for all but menial work? A caring society that embraced them as valuable human beings even if they grew up to be homosexual? A caring society that did not throw them out of work just so another CEO can collect a performance bonus? The list goes on.

And whatever it may have been in the past the current Republican party would not do any of those things. That is, for some unfathomable reason, not the America they want.

I think it's critical for us to see life through other people's eyes not just our own, fortunate, ones. And by thinking what kind of world you want your girls to grow up in I think you have been given a great opportunity for insight.

I don't think government necessarily makes better decisions than the common man, it's just that there will always be things that are on a scale that the individual cannot deal with.

We should focus on the quality of people we send to Washington. We've paid one hell of a price for Democrats and independents staying home last November!