The Virtue of Moderation

NEW RESEARCH, consisting of course in the tried and true method of survey taking, opinion polls, indicates that there is more to the cultural and political climate of America than liberal versus conservative; much more. You'd never know it, however, by listening to the vitriolic inflammatory rhetoric in the sensationalistic media, particuarly right wing talk radio. There is the one half of the country which is usually ignored and forgotten; the cultural and political center, the middle ground, the "moderates". Moderates can be democrats, republicans, but most usually they describe themselves as "independent", preferring to not be associated with what they perceive to be a two party system too controlled by their own ideological extremists. There are resaonable people among us after all! The standard description of the American people is that they are hopelessly divided, and this irrepairable division is reflected in the divided politics of government. It turns out that the loudest voices are not always the most numerous voices. The people in the middle, those who do not vociferously proclaim the truth of extreme points of view, seem to get left out of the conversation, and this is about half the country. We all want to be heard, and all too often we feel that we are ingored, that we have no real political power or influence within the political system. The more extreme our point of view, the more likely we will attract attention. People in the middle tend to be financially conservative, and a bit liberal concerning social issues. They tend to believe that people should not be criminalized for using recreational drugs, that sexual behavior is a private matter best kept out of the political arena, that American foreign policy should focus on cooperation, not intervention, and that government should stop spending money it doesn't have, and start living within its means, like the rest of us are required to do under penalty of law. People in the middle don't seem to care as much about attracting attention, and more about a balanced, sensible approach to political life. Elements of both liberalism and convervatism can be found in the political center. The political center is willing to consider ideas form both ends of the spectrum, but are never dogmatically committed to their beliefs. Compared to extremists on the left and right, moderates are much more willing to alter or amend their views. An examination of the middle ground reveals it to be a comfortable, reasonbale place to be. Extremists seem incapable of understanding moderation, regarding it as weakness, indecisiveness, a failure to inculcate core values. This is to be expected; isn't extremism, extreme liberalism or extreme conservatism, nothing other than narrowmindedness? You've perhaps noticed that when people run for president, they bludgeon their way through the party primary process trying to "out extreme" the other candidates within their own party, then, when facing the general election, move toward the middle. Those elected to the presidency stay safely in the middle, hoping to please everyone, and offend no one. Former president Clinton made a surprising and startling comment yesterday: both parties are to blame for the debt ceiling impasse. How novel an approach! How "centrist"! It seems that even former presidents keep the moderation habit. But of course, old habits are hard to break.