Comments on: What the Heck IS a Centrist? http://donklephant.com/2006/11/14/what-the-heck-is-a-centrist/ Big Teeth. Huge Ass. Surprisingly Reasonable. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:03:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Dusty http://donklephant.com/2006/11/14/what-the-heck-is-a-centrist/comment-page-1/#comment-126998 Dusty Tue, 28 Nov 2006 22:35:02 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/11/14/what-the-heck-is-a-centrist/#comment-126998 There are very few REAL "Centrists'. Prove it by taking the World's Smallest Political Quiz. www.self-gov.org/quiz.html Centrist or Neutralism are synonyms for people who have an innate inability to show some gonads and take a stand either way. Websters calls it 'wishy washy'. I call it 'spineless'. By teheway, I'm Libertarian. There are very few REAL “Centrists’.
Prove it by taking the World’s Smallest Political Quiz.
http://www.self-gov.org/quiz.html
Centrist or Neutralism are synonyms for people who have an innate inability to show some gonads and take a stand either way.
Websters calls it ‘wishy washy’. I call it ‘spineless’.
By teheway, I’m Libertarian.

]]> By: s.sommer http://donklephant.com/2006/11/14/what-the-heck-is-a-centrist/comment-page-1/#comment-114236 s.sommer Fri, 17 Nov 2006 02:54:31 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/11/14/what-the-heck-is-a-centrist/#comment-114236 I am soooo encouraged as I keep finding more & more people expressing what has been my mode of operation since I started voting decades ago.. FINALLY!!! Never could understand people relating to a party affiliation as though they were rooting for a football team.. Talk about suckers asking to be manipulated! You give me hope for the future. In years past, when I expressed similar political thinking, all I got back were odd stares and silence. People just did not approve. It was somehow "unpatriotic" in their minds for me not to be able to "take a side." Keep defining this approach, people are finally opening up to it. There is HOPE. Only by independent thinking, analysis, fact-checking and focus on balanced outcomes with the "best" overall effect are we going to run this country as well as it deserves to be run. NOT by letting special interests fight over the spoils of power. I am soooo encouraged as I keep finding more & more people expressing what has been my mode of operation since I started voting decades ago.. FINALLY!!!

Never could understand people relating to a party affiliation as though they were rooting for a football team.. Talk about suckers asking to be manipulated!

You give me hope for the future. In years past, when I expressed similar political thinking, all I got back were odd stares and silence. People just did not approve.
It was somehow “unpatriotic” in their minds for me not to be able to “take a side.”

Keep defining this approach, people are finally opening up to it. There is HOPE.

Only by independent thinking, analysis, fact-checking and focus on balanced outcomes with the “best” overall effect are we going to run this country as well as it deserves to be run. NOT by letting special interests fight over the spoils of power.

]]> By: BenG http://donklephant.com/2006/11/14/what-the-heck-is-a-centrist/comment-page-1/#comment-113086 BenG Thu, 16 Nov 2006 01:31:08 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/11/14/what-the-heck-is-a-centrist/#comment-113086 ASC; As always, good post when you refer to the classics. Maybe we can call it Neutralism: getting rid of the bias n bull, without the predetermined conclusions drawn before the argument even begins. What I like to see is when one politician bucks his party's stance and agrees with some of the opponents points. Now that's when I ask why--why did he put his neck on the line? What's so important that politics took a back seat ? Like Leiberman, or McCain sometimes do. Also, referring to the numbers you mentioned, I heard a rebublican talkin bout doin things differently. He was saying Carl Rove would use the percentages; figuring that only bout half of the total electorate actually votes in any given election. That means maybe only 20% of the total possible vote gives you the majority. So, motivate the base and you get your 20%. That didn't work this time around because we- the center -came out in larger #'s and for the purpose of CHANGE. We, the forgotten middle, were heard ! ASC; As always, good post when you refer to the classics. Maybe we can call it Neutralism: getting rid of the bias n bull, without the predetermined conclusions drawn before the argument even begins. What I like to see is when one politician bucks his party’s stance and agrees with some of the opponents points. Now that’s when I ask why–why did he put his neck on the line? What’s so important that politics took a back seat ? Like Leiberman, or McCain sometimes do.
Also, referring to the numbers you mentioned, I heard a rebublican talkin bout doin things differently. He was saying Carl Rove would use the percentages; figuring that only bout half of the total electorate actually votes in any given election. That means maybe only 20% of the total possible vote gives you the majority. So, motivate the base and you get your 20%. That didn’t work this time around because we- the center -came out in larger #’s and for the purpose of CHANGE. We, the forgotten middle, were heard !

]]> By: Paul Silver http://donklephant.com/2006/11/14/what-the-heck-is-a-centrist/comment-page-1/#comment-112798 Paul Silver Wed, 15 Nov 2006 16:43:08 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/11/14/what-the-heck-is-a-centrist/#comment-112798 A satisfying post and commentary. I have begun to expand my thinking from the concept of bi-partisan to the idea of Trans-ideological. I agree that it is not as simple as either/or. Sometimes I look at issues as Democratic aims with Conservative means. e.g. Expanded health care through free markets. Heads up, the melifulous written stylings of Tutakai is back: http://tutakai.typepad.com/tutakai/ A satisfying post and commentary.

I have begun to expand my thinking from the concept of bi-partisan to the idea of Trans-ideological. I agree that it is not as simple as either/or.

Sometimes I look at issues as Democratic aims with Conservative means.
e.g. Expanded health care through free markets.

Heads up, the melifulous written stylings of Tutakai is back:
http://tutakai.typepad.com/tutakai/

]]> By: grognard http://donklephant.com/2006/11/14/what-the-heck-is-a-centrist/comment-page-1/#comment-112609 grognard Wed, 15 Nov 2006 13:47:49 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/11/14/what-the-heck-is-a-centrist/#comment-112609 I thing the center tends to be more pragmatic, and maybe that is the definition. Governmental run health care for example. The left says “we must have it� without regards to costs or how we pay for it. The right says “no way�, but getting business out of heath care frees up resources and having a health care system might allow some people with families become entrepreneurial, no longer fearing giving up the health safety in starting a business. For the pragmatic center the issue is formed in the way of questions, “Can this be partly privatized?“ Could this be done but have certain levels of restrictions, like no costly procedures with demonstrated poor outcomes?“ We don’t reject out of hand [ or accept for that matter], we think about it. And if anything drives the left and right batty it’s our wanting to mull it over rather than have the slam dunk ideological response. I thing the center tends to be more pragmatic, and maybe that is the definition. Governmental run health care for example. The left says “we must have it� without regards to costs or how we pay for it. The right says “no way�, but getting business out of heath care frees up resources and having a health care system might allow some people with families become entrepreneurial, no longer fearing giving up the health safety in starting a business. For the pragmatic center the issue is formed in the way of questions, “Can this be partly privatized?“ Could this be done but have certain levels of restrictions, like no costly procedures with demonstrated poor outcomes?“ We don’t reject out of hand [ or accept for that matter], we think about it. And if anything drives the left and right batty it’s our wanting to mull it over rather than have the slam dunk ideological response.

]]> By: Justin Gardner http://donklephant.com/2006/11/14/what-the-heck-is-a-centrist/comment-page-1/#comment-112234 Justin Gardner Wed, 15 Nov 2006 03:57:53 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/11/14/what-the-heck-is-a-centrist/#comment-112234 I saw that. Good line. I saw that. Good line.

]]> By: Callimachus http://donklephant.com/2006/11/14/what-the-heck-is-a-centrist/comment-page-1/#comment-112220 Callimachus Wed, 15 Nov 2006 03:26:19 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/11/14/what-the-heck-is-a-centrist/#comment-112220 I like what <a href="http://ruacentrist.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">"The Centrist Voice"</a> came up with in its response to this: A "swing voter" is one who swings punches at both parties. I like what “The Centrist Voice” came up with in its response to this: A “swing voter” is one who swings punches at both parties.

]]> By: Justin Gardner http://donklephant.com/2006/11/14/what-the-heck-is-a-centrist/comment-page-1/#comment-112161 Justin Gardner Wed, 15 Nov 2006 01:18:22 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/11/14/what-the-heck-is-a-centrist/#comment-112161 My feelings are being a centrist/independent/moderate is exactly what Cal described in his third paragraph. And do know that it's much less about being in the MIDDLE, although if we're talking about a two party system...you're going to find yourself there quite a bit. But politics can often be about compromise to get things done. And so, there's that side of centrism too. But yes, centrists have opinions, we have facts and we don't tie our decisions to any sort of stale ideology. We recognize that both sides have good ideas and bad, and we treat them as such. In short, centrism is about being honest with yourself and honest with your audience. That's how I try and run this blog, and that's how it'll continue until I quit. My feelings are being a centrist/independent/moderate is exactly what Cal described in his third paragraph. And do know that it’s much less about being in the MIDDLE, although if we’re talking about a two party system…you’re going to find yourself there quite a bit. But politics can often be about compromise to get things done. And so, there’s that side of centrism too.

But yes, centrists have opinions, we have facts and we don’t tie our decisions to any sort of stale ideology. We recognize that both sides have good ideas and bad, and we treat them as such.

In short, centrism is about being honest with yourself and honest with your audience. That’s how I try and run this blog, and that’s how it’ll continue until I quit.

]]> By: Alan Stewart Carl http://donklephant.com/2006/11/14/what-the-heck-is-a-centrist/comment-page-1/#comment-112156 Alan Stewart Carl Wed, 15 Nov 2006 01:05:14 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/11/14/what-the-heck-is-a-centrist/#comment-112156 Machete ... it would have been perfect if I'd added a "on the other hand..." Machete … it would have been perfect if I’d added a “on the other hand…”

]]> By: machete http://donklephant.com/2006/11/14/what-the-heck-is-a-centrist/comment-page-1/#comment-112148 machete Wed, 15 Nov 2006 00:37:50 +0000 http://donklephant.com/2006/11/14/what-the-heck-is-a-centrist/#comment-112148 "Yes and no. And maybe." Brilliant centrist response. :) “Yes and no. And maybe.”

Brilliant centrist response. :)

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