Centerfield

Yes, it certainly is.

The efforts you're putting in run parallel (or perhaps directly involve) what the major Republican centrist organizations are trying to do -- the Republican Main Street Partnership, the Republican Youth Majority, etc.

You're right about the factors that hurt you -- and all of us, really -- the decline in participation that tends to leave the field to the folks at the passionate extremes.

It's a question, ultimately, of figuring out how to motivate people. If moderates don't care as much as liberals and conservatives, or if they don't try as hard, we will perpetually lose.

I have a basic sense, honestly, that there's a lot we could accomplish. I look around my neighborhood, my workplace, the folks I've known over the years, and it just seems like there are a lot of people with balanced, common-sense views on stuff who I suspect would be willing to participate, if asked.

It seems like there's a "middle" out here -- an immense reservoir of talent -- that could be nudged in the direction of political participation if given a reasonable path or a meaningful context for expressing their preferences.

The balanced, common-sense folks out here are also fairly civic-minded. We just have to find the right way to connect with them.

One of the problems is that it's hard to get the middle to form a cohesive group. The term "moderate" or "centrist" doesn't come with a preset definition of policy stances, while the wingnuts tend to be like-minded. That makes organization even tougher, but hopefully not impossible.

Part of the problem is that the parties responded to the tumult for greater "democracy" in the sixties by going to primaries as the exclusive way of picking their nominees. Primaries place much more emphasis on attracting the party base because the less committed are not as likely to vote in a primary. Consequently, party nominees represent the more extreme base of the party rather than the moderate center.

This has another effect as well-it makes it much more likely that only the truly committed and idelogically driven people will work in political campaigns, especially for president. You are talking about an immense committment in time because, with primaries, the process takes one to two years. That's why you see so many college students working in these campaigns--they have the time and, being younger, tend to be more partisan. You can certainly feel strongly about centrist positions, but, let's face it, it is hard to get peoplet to coalesce around the center. Partisanship is a much easier force to mobilize than moderation, especially given the effort necessary to elect someone. It used to be that the party structures provided a vetting process to insure that more moderate candidates emerged from the process, but they don't play this role anymore because of the growth of "personal" campaigns in which the candidate relies more on a sort of cult of personality (e.g., Howard Dean) than on the party organization.

All very good points, MWS.

I wonder if the energy of youth, and the time commitment, might be effectively replaced by the greater "maturity", you might say, of the moderate/centrist segment of the electorate.

We're older, we've done a bit more, and we're a bit more confident in terms of our careers and our direction in life. That also makes us busier, with families and jobs and such.

But the people I know who have those qualities are also exceptionally effective in the things they try to do. They use their time wisely and know how to work smart instead of hard. They're down-to-earth, practical people who focus on accomplishing things rather than making a lot of effort.

I think there's a certain segment of folks who are successful in the business world, but turned off by the cultural divisiveness of some on the right. They're optimistic, favorable to a free market, but their optimism extense to a sense of us all getting along and working together. That's what they strive for every day ... so they end up with an intuitive sense of inclusiveness.

Those people -- if they connected with one another -- could succeed mightily in politics.

Where are you from Tully and how does it skew the party toward the right. I've given some thought about joining the local GOP in the Madison, WI area but have been hesitant. I consider myself a common sense moderate libertarian which would present problems on quite a few social issues w/in the the GOP, although Madison area Republicans tend to be socially tolerant. I'm assuming I should just take the plunge and join just to test the waters. Any suggestions?

Before last goodbye, will state once again probably with no one returning to read:

You must attack two things: spending and control freaks over your lives by either side (ultraliberal or right corp greedy & the ideologues).
That should come from a Thinking Non-Partisan Approach as taxpayers. You get more credibility and more favorable response from majority of people too. I CAN DEDICATE REST OF MY LIFE TO THAT APPROACH, AS HAVE BEEN ANYWAY. (THE PROBLEM IS GETTING PAID TO DO IT -- ALL THE SPENDERS ARE ON THE INSIDE GRABBING THOSE BUCKS.

I TELL YOU, ATTACKING FROM A NON-PARTISAN TAXPAYER APPROACH HAS GREAT POTENTIAL.
GET THOSE POTS OF TAX MONEYS OUT OF THEIR HANDS.
MAKE THEM ACCOUNT FOR SPENDING YOUR TAX DOLLARS.
GET THEIR POWER FREAK CONTROL OVER YOUR LIVES OUT OF THEIR HANDS.

By the way, I was correct when stated much earlier:

2/3 of voters = center + @ 2 Standard Deviations L & R.

__________________________

I have found Liberals are just as Nazilike as right winger ideologues. Besides,they took over your Institutions disguised as intellectuals, univ. profs.(like if you can read and apply or use a computer module, you don't need me or admin. or my costs to you),or other professional type control freaks over our lives(their monopolies and control competition, and like we're not supposed to know anything or do anything for ourselves for half the fees.

I can give example after example. From School Boards socialistic practices, to the legal system, to medicine, and insurance execs profiteering (recent ex. $60M extra going to execs in merging two CA health plans).

MUST GET THE ELITIST-SOCIALISTS AND IDEOLOGUES (of CORP GREED & RELIGION) CONTROL OVER SPENDING YOUR HARD EARNED TAX DOLLARS AND CONTROL FREAKS OVER YOUR LIVES.

My e-mail is on record with those running the site.

Adrian, I'm in Kansas. As for what your local GOP party is like, the only way to find out is ask around and maybe go to some meetings. Or watch what the candidates they send to elections are like--also a good indicator. If they send moderates, tey're moderate. If they send Bible-thumping hard-core Religious Right...we'' then you still have your answer.

Same applies to your local Dems. Check out a few meetings, talk to some people, and watch what kind of candidates they offer.