What does the Middle Stand for?

[rightwinger]

Nothing! Thats why they are the middle

 

[Sarah G]

Nothing! Thats why they are the middle

They call themselves the middle so they can sit on the fence and take potshots at everyone. I think they're noncommittal.

 

[uscitizen]

The middle just pretends to stand for something different, but tend to vote with the left or right where their loyalties lie.

 

[rightwinger]

If you are against everyone...you can't be wrong


"I didn't vote for the guy"

 

[nodoginnafight]

I think there are folks in the middle who feel very strongly about issues. But because some of their strongly help positions fall left of center and some fall right of center, the cumlative effect is that they are considered "the middle."

Just MHO

 

[PatekPhilippe]

 

[ihopehefails]

Nothing! Thats why they are the middle

THere is no such thing as right left and middle. Its only what you believe.

 

[uscitizen]

My beliefs about what is best for america spans the entire political spectrum.

 

[Sarah G]

Nothing! Thats why they are the middle

THere is no such thing as right left and middle. Its only what you believe.

Oh there's such a thing..

 

[amrchaos]

If you are against everyone...you can't be wrong


"I didn't vote for the guy"

Try--"I did not vote at all" And "Where is the Choice?"

OR--"Sarah WHO??"

OR--"OBAMA from Where?"


the middle does not stand for anything in particular. It has a purpose. One in which the right nor left can ever supercede.

What is theat purpose? Simple--to keep the extreme nutjobs from going to damn far. Without the middle, we would all live in a Left/Right winges idea of societal perfection--AKA

HELL!!​

 

[Luissa]

I am in the middle!

 

[QUENTIN]

I think the left/right/middle division really is pretty stupid and is mostly used to artificially pit people against each other to keep us distracted from the real issues, not thinking critically, and squabbling amongst ourselves rather than being active participants in how our representatives operate and government functions.

In modern political discourse, following the rule of law is considered to be a position of "the left," opposing abortion is considered to be a position of "the right," and the phased withdrawal of troops from the Middle East is considered to be "the middle." That's just nonsense. All three are based on a combination of moral imperative and the practical role of government that have almost nothing to do with liberalism, conservatism, or the middle ground in-between. Meanwhile there's an attempt to divide whether or not you are convinced by the science available on global warming and evolution across the left/right axis. What the hell? None of these things should be politicized in any way and they have been to our great detriment.

One of them problems is that there used to be consensus across the country (and the aisle) about a lot of the core principles almost all Americans agreed upon and the left/right divide was more about how much government should be involved in providing services for people vs how much we didn't want to support a large state entity. Now even something as fundamental and previously bipartisan as opposing torture is considered a partisan issue because idiots have made it one. Ditto the right to bear arms, which somehow became an issue associated with "the right." Far too many basics laid out plainly in the Constitution have become considered partisan because of assholes who view things through a mentality no different than a sports franchise and which "side" is winning, rather than what's best for the nation and how citizens as a whole can "win."

So some moderates are just those without strong convictions who are easily swayed by cults of personality rather than policy, which if you voted for Reagan, Clinton, Bush, and Obama (I actually know people for which that's the case) you are. Some have strong convictions but support many policies considered liberal and many considered conservative because their ideology isn't all-encompassing or easily pigeon-holed. Some are frankly apathetic or at least dispassionate about topics that inspire passion at the two poles. Some do generally tend "left" or "right" but feel like the majority of that side have taken things too far. Like what is considered "the left" and "the right" in modern discourse, they cover far too much ground and span too much of a spectrum to be lumped together and said to stand for one thing that can be summed up in a useless label.

 

[goldcatt]

Nothing! Thats why they are the middle

Not so. Many of us clustered around the middle have very strong beliefs. As nodog pointed out they may be beliefs that straddle both sides of the fence, so in some ways we are conservative and in some liberal placing us overall squarely in the middle. We tend to like balance.

Another thing we tend to stand for is pragmatism, looking at whether an idea will work rather than the brand name on it. Sometimes a liberal solution is best, other times a conservative approach is called for. Why do you suppose the pendulum swings?

Honest give and take is another thing the middle wants to see, we get tired of all this rah rah team, my way or the highway, daily talking points tactical garbage. It solves exactly nothing. Stop the endless campaigning and start governing, dammit.

Sitting on the fence taking potshots at both sides? Maybe. But y'all hacks are just too blind to see you earn every shot you get and then some with your childishness. Not every partisan is a hack, of course. But you know who you are. And if you don't, we do!

Flying nutbar attack in 3...2...1...

 

[Luissa]

I am GC, I don't sit in the middle but I think balance works in government well.
And I really hate to say this, so please no one Quote me on this one but I think one of the reasons the Clinton years were so good was due to the balance in power.

 

[goldcatt]

All right Luissa, I won't quote you. But you're too honest to be a hack. Partisans are needed too, just honest ones. Not the foulmouthed brainwashed cultist type. We all have a role to play.

And for the most part on the Clinton years, I think you're probably right.