Centerfield

Centrists Gaining Visibility

BOPnews blogger paperwight isn't too happy with Marshall Wittman, the former Republican who is now blogging for the Democratic Leadership Council.
But what pleases me about this post is the comment by John:

i think this guy is what is lately called a centrist. i've noticed alot of new political blogs under this label lately. truthfully i don't really understand what a centrist is. they seem to be coming from the far right of the domestic political agenda with a corporate agebda at their core. i'd bet most of their funding is corporate.

Here is my response to John:

I'm delighted you've noticed an increased in centrist blogs. Most centrists I know are pro-business and socially tolerant. In fact, at the Centrist Coalition, we're supportive of gay marriage, and have had arguments with conservatives who say we can't really be centrists, because the median American voter is against gay marriage. In theory, a centrist could be anti-business and socially intolerant--kind of like William Jennings Bryan. I don't know anyone like that, however.

Except for the DLC blogs, I don't know of any centrists who are getting paid to blog. The Centrist Coalition is all-volunteer at this point.

As far as why someone might be a centrist, it's often because they have had life experiences that allow them to relate to both sides of the cultural divide. I for instance was raised in a highly traditional religious household, but also went to college in Cambridge, Mass.

Posted by rickheller at January 31, 2005 09:26 PM