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 In Support of Moderates
by Tom Campbell
July 30, 2009
I’ve been listening to the health care reform debate and I am personally weary with those on both ends predicting all sorts of calamities if their side doesn’t prevail. The same is true with just about every issue today, be it homosexuality, abortion or the economy. I’ve pretty much had it with both conservatives and liberals.
It isn’t hard finding conservatives. Just turn on your talk radio station or Fox News. It also isn’t hard finding liberals. They are more often on other cable networks and are newspaper columnists and editorial writers.
We hear Republicans. We hear Democrats. Why don’t we hear Moderates? If you believe political consultants, moderates determine the outcomes of elections. Pundits frequently say that a candidate must move toward the center if they are to win. Public Policy Polling reports that moderates outnumber either liberals or conservatives in the 18-29 and 30-45 year-old age groups in North Carolina and come within five percentage points of conservatives in the 46-55 year old group. The numbers are there. So why isn’t there a Moderate party?
That high muckety-muck Rush Limbaugh says moderates are part of the great unwashed who don’t have any opinions. Rush obviously doesn’t know many moderates because he should know moderates are often just as passionate as those on the left or right, especially in opinions of him. We just don’t have visible and vocal spokespersons.
Moderates want fiscal responsibility and accountability, but don’t believe government is all bad; government often provides needed functions the private sector has abandoned or is unwilling to fill. But moderates also have a healthy skepticism about big government. Moderates are willing to pay their fair share of taxes but believe the middle class is bearing too big a percentage of the costs of government. A moderate might tell you she opposes the death penalty, but not because of moral convictions but because the costs involved in executing a prisoner are much greater than housing that prisoner for life behind bars.
While some of us are registered Republican or Democrats, most of us are registered as independents or unaffiliated voters. The terminology is exclusionary. The other parties don’t want us until it comes time to vote. Then the candidates can’t run fast enough to where we stand. After the election is won they throw us under the bus until the next election cycle.
It is time for moderates to have a spokesperson, someone to speak up for us. Let’s form the Mainstream Party. And when moderates start winning elections, as will most surely happen, those other parties would have to shut up and listen for a change.
Until we get organized I will humbly offer myself to speak the moderate position. Send me your ideas and stay tuned. |
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