Centerfield

Because our society thrives on polarization. There is no "market" for moderation or thoughtfulness. FUD sells.

Corporate media - keeping America uninformed for decades because stupid people are easier to fool and lead around by the nose.Case in point,Glenn Greenwald's Salon column

about media priorities here...

The U.S. establishment media in a nutshell

In the past two weeks, the following events transpired. A Department of Justice memo, authored by John Yoo, was released which authorized torture and presidential lawbreaking. It was revealed that the Bush administration declared the Fourth Amendment of the Bill of Rights to be inapplicable to "domestic military operations" within the U.S. The U.S. Attorney General appears to have fabricated a key event leading to the 9/11 attacks and made patently false statements about surveillance laws and related lawsuits. Barack Obama went bowling in Pennsylvania and had a low score.

Here are the number of times, according to NEXIS, that various topics have been mentioned in the media over the past thirty days:

"Yoo and torture" - 102

"Mukasey and 9/11" -- 73

"Yoo and Fourth Amendment" -- 16

"Obama and bowling" -- 1,043

"Obama and Wright" -- More than 3,000 (too many to be counted)

"Obama and patriotism" - 1,607

"Clinton and Lewinsky" -- 1,079

How to tell that the world is going mad:

A friend reports that he was out getting a bowling ball, so he can bowl with his girlfriend and her kids. It turns out that one can now buy scented bowling balls. "Tropical Punch" was specifically mentioned. That's just WRONG!

Someone please tell me that this is just a California lunacy, and has not spread to the rest of the nation!

Looks like this is the "final word" on Centrism?

Twice recently I've sent messages of disappointment to cf@centristcoalition.com (as suggested in the upper left corner of this blog) about the total lack of "promotion" of Centrist philosophy and policies in the spirit of Avalon and Satin, while being dominated by daily trivia about a disgusting Campaign like jillions of other blogs. Either nobody reads those messages, or cares, or both. Never a response, post or comment.

Now the only reference to Centrism is about how much can be learned from The Missing Middle?!?! And how nobody buys Centrist books? And the wisdom of a Comment stressing how Polarization sells. All this on a blog named Centerfield, with a tagline about being the Weblog of Centrist Voices in American Politics.

It must be dead!

Thanks, Jon. I started the book because I felt like I had a certain something to say about politics in our country today and about the relative absence of centrism in the public debate. It's a perspective I just don't see out there right now, and it is also kind of wedded to the events of the Bush and Clinton years, so I knew it would become stale before too long.

After finishing it, I don't honestly think the quality of the writing is quite where it should be, but a good bit of the basic message is there.

It means more to me than anything for you guys to read it and share your thoughts, whether you agree or disagree. I think I've sent copies out to most of you guys, but if anyone else would like one, just let me know.

Thanks again.

vi - abomination is right.

DH - I thought the report from Convention Hell very illuminating and educational. It was a description of an aspect of American political life that few dare to venture into...and now we know why.

Centrism is not dead. This blog's stated intention is that it is a forum for moderates to discuss policy, politics and yeah we get into silly time on occasion. It is a meeting place for people who have somewhat competing ideas but also have a significant amount of common ground with the interests of this country at heart. Centrism, in my view at least, is not a movement of any note although some people would like it to be. I don't think an overall complete centrist philosophy really works, it kind of clashes with the Paine-style ferment that built this nation and it is a tacit admission, in my view, that everything is alright when in fact it is not. Sorry to say this but the political reality is that often the middle ground is not an agent of necessary change in this country and for that I submit to you the experiences of the socio-political advances of the last 100 years. Without radical change and influence, Jim Crow would still be a major force in Southern life, women would not be doing so well in the workplace and forget Title IX (btw enjoy the basketball game Tues nite), the environment would not be in as good (figuratively speaking) shape as it is today, people with physical disabilities would still be dealing with many of the physical barriers of yesteryear, Obama would NOT be a presidential candidate and Colin Powell would have retired in the Carter era, and on and on and on. That's the very short abridged micro list.
I think as Americans we do want the middle ground to prevail on certain issues, for me it's the economy, defense and education. Other issues, like the environment, civil rights, etc, I feel the middle acquiesces to a status quo that is unjust and sometimes cruel. That's my two cents.
So thank you for your passion in this, it's good to see. I say post away yourself. And if you want a real indication about passion in the Centrist world, note that at Amazon there has yet to be a review of "The Missing Middle".

There's a symbiosis in our society between extremists and centrists. Extremists bring issues like racism, genderism, and health care problems before the public. Centrists persuade and do the deals to fix them.

To get Title IV passed took centrist politicians, to write and do deals to pass a reasonable

When fanatics own one legislative branch, things stop up. The Genetic Testing Bill still hasn't passed after years of being pending. First, the GOP House ALONE wouldn't touch it; both the GOP Senate and, yes, Bush, wanted it. In 06, I was happy, because I thought for sure it'd pass fast. But it took a year for the (D) House to get to it, and they constructed their own bill instead of just passing the Senate's version, and that's given an extreme Senator the ability to maybe block it. Nobody's playing with others.

Will, congrats on the book. I'd love a copy, but I'd prefer to buy it. You deserve it amigo.

Marcus: Thanks for the rational response. Key words for me a "blend" and "balance." Of course democracy thrives on the debate of opposing views. But the extremes of recent years have so polarized all issues, driven by partisanship and exacerbated by the media, that I think we've lost our sense of blending and balancing. Sometimes I feel gridlock is actually better than anything government tries to do. But America should be better than that, and we have such an opportunity right now with so many fed up with both Parties, that a constructive focus on Centrist philosophies could help "right the ship." Yet I see little to none of it happening.....even on this "Weblog of Centrist Voices."

Kudos William and I second what Kritter said.

Let me add a few thoughts.

Many here seem to love Barak Obama. My resistance stems from what I consider my centrist inclinations.

I find that Obama's first mentor Frank Davis to be not remotely centrist...LOL and I'm sure that is where Obama got his Soviet "Yes We Can" mantra. Chavez picked it up from his Russian mentor too. Please note the irony my fellow centrists.

Then I find Khalidi and Ayers, both good friends and meeting together at the Wood Fund to also irritate my centrist sensibilities (not to mention Michele). Oh and Carter is off to Hamas and Obama responds to the Hamas article in the Trinty Newsletter now months old with a new declaration to diss negotiating with Hamas until they renounce violence. More pandering fellows because the Press was blasting him on the newsletter and linking him to Carter. We call this damage control.

I find Rezko and Auchi quite a sad source of funding and it amazes me that Wright is the singular Mentor Obama dewdicates his audacity too followed by Meeks and Moss. These are hardly centrist icons.

Then you add the advisors of McPeak, Zbig, Malley, Rice and Powers and again, centrist does not ring true.

So how a Neoliberal Obama delivering one of the most hypocritical campaigns on record can be a source of inspiration for centrists is beyond me.

Before one laments the death of the middle, perhaps we ought to examine what we support, yes?

I suppose a centrist JFK would have Wright swear him in and Davis read poetry. Perhaps centrists are a bit foggy about where the middle is.

Jon, did you read the last chapter of FIASCO? Well, that's where we are now.

Also, does anyone have authorization to view Bobby Bran's web site? Just curious because now it requires authorization to view. I wonder if that is a new DoD requirement.

"I find Rezko and Auchi quite a sad source of funding and it amazes me that Wright is the singular Mentor Obama dedicates his audacity to followed by Meeks and Moss. These are hardly centrist icons."

Sorry for the typos....works calls

Aren't there any centrist women here, just curious, well see yall later guys.