There Are No Moderates

Recently it has come in vogue especially within the Democratic Party to scream "There are no moderates" as progressives seek to gain their way in politics.

Sigh. Looks like we are going to have to repeat history or something. The liberals (progressives if you prefer) in the Democratic Party are unwilling to share power with moderates (or centrists if you prefer) and apparently they too (they being the liberals) are going to have to get a spanking in the political arena.

Please understand that it is my opinion that the reason people (like me) have been willing to vote Democratic recently is because we felt betrayed by the Republicans after we voted them into power. We were entranced as they spoke about "tax and spend" Democrats only to discover that perhaps they were even worse when their method of "fiscal responsibility" was to cut taxes, borrow the money, and keep on increasing the spending. I myself describe them as "borrow and spend" Republicans.

We grew tired of preachers quoting from the bible ("the bible says") to justify taxcuts for the wealthy (but even the poor must tithe to pay the preacher's salary) while the federal deficit mushroomed because nobody was willing to cut expenditures while we cut taxes.

Now instead of taking advantage of Republican (conservative) weakness, liberals (trying to repaint themselves as progressives) are offering us the same menu of choices that caused us to reject them and start voting Republican in the first place.

You do not have to always agree with me. But if progressives are unwilling to "reform" themselves so as to appeal to moderates, them I am willing to once again consider voting for the "new" Republican candidate.

If progressive Democrats are that cock sure of themselves, I dare them to nominate someone like Dennis Kucinich or Ralph Nader and watch as their Christmas stocking comes up empty. I am all to willing to consider the Republican candidate who might lurch towards me then consider the Democratic candidate who tacks towards you!

I am willing to share power with liberals. That I am willing to share this power with liberals is evidenced in my willingness to vote for Democrats for office. If by voting for the Democrat I witness an unwillingness of liberals (or even worse progressives) to share power with those whom I voted for, I am willing to shift my vote.

How unreasonable will the liberals be? The more unreasonable they become, the more enticing the Republican candidates such as Giuliani, Romney and Thompson become.

Are Democrats willing to share power with moderates? This is the test. If Democrats insist upon a strictly ultra left view in their candidates? Well then perhaps we moderates can reconsider and find more fertile soil in right wing soil. Perhaps Republicans have already learned their lesson.

I can not predict the future. One thing I can say with a great deal of certainty however is that the path for future political influence for "progressives" does not wind through strictly liberal territory. They must be willing to share power. If liberals are not willing to learn from the failures of conservatives, perhaps the conservatives have been taught a lesson?