A Weblog of Centrist Voices in American Politics
|
|
|
A Weblog of Centrist Voices in American Politics | |
|
June 22, 2005Us and Them: political spectrum pop quizWe've done a lot of talking on this blog about "what defines a Centrist". What intrigues me is how we tend to distinguish ourselves by who we disagree with. This comes out by describing how we regularly disagree with _________ (fill in the blank). Our favorite term here for the "others" are the "wings". For example, "What a jerk Joe Blow, the left -wing pundit, is" Now, if you're a party partisan that distinction is easy. If you're a Democrat you're likely distinguish yourself from those within the Republican Party (or pundits thereof). If your a Republican, the reverse is likely true. The further out you go (and none of here would be "that far out") the more likely you are to distinguish yourself from "moderates" within your party. (i.e. "The Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party" or the "true Conservative") Well let's take a little test here. Who are your "them"? Draw your line by identifying someone on "the other side" but try to get an example as close to that "line" as possible. (In other words, don't pick an extreme right-winger who no one would identify with.) Presumably, as a Centrist you'll have two lines defining each "wing". To get the ball rolling I'll start. I'll chose columnists who regularly appear in my local paper, the Arizona Republic. Each are thoughtful but they seem to consistently be just "beyond" my personal views. On the Right: Charles Krauthhamer, On the Left: Ellen Goodman. Posted by c3 at June 22, 2005 10:49 PMComments
Excellent suggestion, c3. It really compels us to define our own personal parameters. On the right, I'd say that David Brooks shifts around my "right" line. George Will is usually just beyond in. As a Straussian, though, I'd also say that I tend to react very much to what Bill Kristol writes in The Weekly Standard. He's further over the line than Will, but I generally respect him. I tend to be more sympathetic to the left these days, but I'd say that my line is somewhere around Robert Scheer at the L.A. Times. Yes, come to think of it, he's just over the line for me. I look at it more this way. I think in terms of "how often do I agree with X? I find myself almost always agreeing with Cathy Young, who writes for the Boston Globe and Reason magazine. I almost never agree with Derrick Jackson. There are many conservatives who I often vehemently disagree with, but then about 1 out of every 4 or 5 times I almost totally AGREE with. Jeff Jacoby and Jonah Goldberg are like this for me. Then there are the columnists who never ever seem to do better than getting it 1/2 right. This might even be a trend. The right opinions seem well-formed and I am either totally on board or totally against. Many of the moderate democratic views seem muddled to me, strands of reasonable thought connected to utter crap and simplistic pointlessness. Vennocchi and Bob Kuttner are like this for me, and Krugman too. Posted by: bk at June 23, 2005 02:46 PMI'm too ignorant to make such a judgement, I fear, although traditionally I tend to actually side with the underdog... I felt for the GOP during the Clinton years, and now I feel the GOP is taking us in the entirely wrong direction... Posted by: Ryan at June 23, 2005 02:59 PM |
Archives
March 2006
February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003
Recent Entries
Dubai Out
Why So Long Between Democracies? Round One, Centrism Rock Lobster? Blackwell Releases "Worst-Treated" List "IRV" used in Burl., VT for mayor election. Great idea! Random Thread Election 2006: Round One A Proper Multiculturalism Bush proposes line item veto act - what's changed?
|
