A Centrist Q & A

Two days ago we published the points we feel are vital to the Centrist Reform Movement. Thanks to all who have linked and discussed. The response has been incredible.

In my debates with those on the left, right and in the center, a number of questions keep coming up. So I thought I’d address them here.

Do Centrists Want Everyone to Agree and Stop Arguing?

No. Centrism is not about seeking uniformity. It’s about being reasoned and reasonable in our disagreements. Centrists reject blind ideology—the habit of those on the far wings of defending their position no matter the facts. Blind ideology breeds propaganda, spin, needless divisiveness and considers opponents to be dangerous enemies. This is not conducive to effective government or even a strong society

But Centrists aren’t by any means looking for everyone to agree. Most Centrists welcome a wide berth of ideas, the only real requirement being that the ideas are based on reason. If you believe what you do because your side said so, that’s not going to get you far with Centrists. But if you can provide reasonable and reasoned arguments, no matter how far out on the political spectrum you are, most Centrists will welcome the debate. Vigorous, raucous, heated debate is vital. But when it crosses over into propaganda and hate, that’s where Centrists draw the line.

What Are the Specific Policy Positions of Centrists?

Centrism is not a political party with a platform and established solutions to the nation’s problems. Yes, Centrists come from the middle of the political spectrum, most tending towards being socially moderate/liberal but fiscally conservative. You’re probably not going to find religious fundamentalists or tax-and-spend liberals amongst our ranks. But you will find plenty of other ideas and plenty of disagreement. I have very firm beliefs (free markets, social inclusion, privacy rights, vigorous national defense, etc.) but other Centrists may fall to my left or right on some issues. That doesn't make us mushy. It makes us more committed to free thought than party unity.

Centrists don’t claim to have all the solutions. What we do claim is that every issue should have more solutions than the Democrat idea on one side and the Republican idea on the other. The current political environment too often serves up only two possible solutions. And too often the adherents to those solutions are unwilling to consider change (just look at the Social Security debate). Centrism seeks to get away from the choice A, choice B or no choice at all method of problem solving. We believe there is often a third way. And we want to find it.

Are Centrists Just Looking for Compromise?

Not really. Sure, Centrists tend to think of compromise as a better option than letting tensions escalate past the point of crisis. But compromise, in the sense of finding a middle-ground between two positions, isn’t really or at least isn’t always the point. Sometimes if idea A and idea B are not working, we should seek idea C. Or D, E and F. Our political parties get trapped in these debates of diametric opposition where they get bogged down in shouting matches and stop doing the thinking, persuasion and hard work necessary to resolve the problem. Centrists reject the notion that some problems are inherently irresolvable. We believe there’s always a new idea—but to find it, we need to stop demonizing each other and start debating each other.

Why are Centrists so Against Special Interests?

There’s nothing wrong with special interest groups and Centrists don’t want to chase them out of town. But we would like to see their power become more proportional. Congressmen and women too often defer to special interests even if its against the interests of the nation at large. I, personally speaking, don’t think we should try regulating special interests but should try mobilizing groups to counter the special interests, or at least dent their influence. It has been pointed out to me that this might be a little idealistic, which brings me to my final question…

Isn’t All this Talk About Changing the Tenor of Politics and Improving Debate and Discovering New Solutions Just a Bit Idealistic?

Sure. Of course. You can’t have a reform movement without ideals. And if you swing for the fences, you might just hit a double. Centrists know there will always been anger in politics, that politicians will always demonize each other, that some debates will devolve into shouting matches. But the goal is to make all this far less common. Divisiveness and blind ideology are becoming the de facto method of American politics. That’s got to change. And Centrists believe it can be.

See Also: What is a Moderate? at Random Fate.