What the hell is a "moderate"

[toppick08 (Premo)]

Originally Posted by aps45819

Nobody is asking about your sexual preferences and if you're advertising, Vari will kill the thread

[Vince]

Originally Posted by Larry Gude

...a 'moderate' tends to be someone who looks at a given issue, say, the war, and sees left and right fighting over it tooth and nail and doesn't like the rancor. Something tells them it's probably a good thing Saddam is dead and gone, but something else tells them that the cost in blood and money isn't so good. So, they're in the middle seeing validity in both arguments and fault in both.

Same thing on taxes, energy, social policies and so forth. They don't see issues in terms of winning or losing as the right and left do. They're look for that third way. Clinton was great at triangulating.

A less charitable view would be they have no principles.

Sounds like someone who is so indecisive, they couldn't make up their mind on what's for dinner.

[Larry Gude (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Vince

Sounds like someone who is so indecisive, they couldn't make up their mind on what's for dinner.

...the thing is, in politics there is no clear cut right and wrong. That's why we have founding documents establishing clear guidelines. For example, gun control. Left says the second amendment is about militia's, not individuals right to keep and bear. Right says the left can't read and too bad; the whole document is about individual rights. Moderate says, well, maybe if we have all sorts of extra rules and provisions and this and that. Left says "Fine, we'll make the rules so bad it will be a de facto ban." Right says "You can't do that!" Moderate says "We have to do something..."

The left is clearly and totally wrong and through moderates, they all too often tip the scales their way.

Gay marriage is another one; Left says 'Whatever you say someone can't have, we want!" Right says "Tradition!" Moderate says "How about something in the middle, maybe civil unions?" The right is clearly wrong and moderates have tipped this one to the left.

So, within gray there is also good and bad. Moderates know the right isn't always right nor is the left always right. or correct. Moderates run this nation. They decide nearly every issue.

Think it's a coincidence we have three branches of government?

[Cowgirl]

Originally Posted by Vince

Someone who doesn't want to admit they belong to either party.

:fixed:

[Toxick]

I've always thought of myself as a moderate.

However, my opinions don't seem to jibe with what's been written here. A lot of the definitions so far have made moderates seem wishy-washy, shades-of-gray-seeing, indecisive, twerpish little panty-wastes.

However, I see very few shades of gray and I see lots of black and white. It just so happens that the black and white that I see do not often fall along the same alignment.

F'rinstance:

I oppose banning of gay marriages. (I'm left)
I oppose abortion. (I'm right).
I oppose the death penalty (I'm left).
I oppose Universal Health Care (I'm right).
I oppose censorship in TV & Radio and support full frontal nudity on prime Time TV.(I'm left).
I oppose Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants (I'm right).
I oppose all forms of cancer (Bipartisan)

etc.

I don't see any shades of gray in the above issues. They are the deepest of blacks and the purest of whites. I try to learn as much as I can when I hear about a new issue, and then I make up my mind on an issue regardless of right or left sensitivities. I like to commit vehemently to one side or the other, and there are very few issues where I'm on the fence.


I just happen to think that both modern day American parties are ####ed in the head beyond any sensible repair. They both try to make life way too much goddam harder on everyone than necessary, and they are both are merrily chipping away at freedoms that the Founding Fathers are probably spinning in their graves.

Maybe not whizzing around, but definitly turning.

Turning slowly... rotisserie style.

[Larry Gude (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Toxick

I've always thought of myself as a moderate.

However, my opinions don't seem to jibe with what's been written here. A lot of the definitions so far have made moderates seem wishy-washy, shades-of-gray-seeing, indecisive, twerpish little panty-wastes.

However, I see very few shades of gray and I see lots of black and white. It just so happens that the black and white that I see do not often fall along the same alignment.

F'rinstance:

I oppose banning of gay marriages. (I'm left)
I oppose abortion. (I'm right).
I oppose the death penalty (I'm left).
I oppose Universal Health Care (I'm right).
I oppose censorship in TV & Radio and support full frontal nudity on prime Time TV.(I'm left).
I oppose Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants (I'm right).
I oppose all forms of cancer (Bipartisan)

etc.

I don't see any shades of gray in the above issues. They are the deepest of blacks and the purest of whites. I try to learn as much as I can when I hear about a new issue, and then I make up my mind on an issue regardless of right or left sensitivities. I like to commit vehemently to one side or the other, and there are very few issues where I'm on the fence.


I just happen to think that both modern day American parties are ####ed in the head beyond any sensible repair. They both try to make life way too much goddam harder on everyone than necessary, and they are both are merrily chipping away at freedoms that the Founding Fathers are probably spinning in their graves.

Maybe not whizzing around, but definitly turning.

Turning slowly... rotisserie style.

...enough. You know where you stand. Who you gonna vote for for POTUS and why?

[puggymom]

Originally Posted by Toxick

I try to learn as much as I can when I hear about a new issue, and then I make up my mind on an issue regardless of right or left sensitivities. I like to commit vehemently to one side or the other, and there are very few issues where I'm on the fence.

I am a moderate and I agree with this statement. I cannot identify with either party because there are so many issues where I differ with each party. I am mainly a fiscal conservative but I tend to be socially liberal. Of course there are always exceptions to that. And like Toxic said I am rarely on the fence about an issue.

[Toxick]

Originally Posted by Larry Gude

...enough. You know where you stand. Who you gonna vote for for POTUS and why?

Amongst the three hamburgers up and running now, I vote None of the Above.

Worse comes to worst, I'll write-in Ron Paul.







It can't be a bigger waste of a vote than picking one of the three nimrods currently running amok. At the very least, I'll be able to sleep with myself for the next 4 years.

[Larry Gude (Premo)]

Originally Posted by Toxick

Amongst the three hamburgers up and running now, I vote None of the Above.

Worse comes to worst, I'll write-in Ron Paul.







It can't be a bigger waste of a vote than picking one of the three nimrods currently running amok. At the very least, I'll be able to sleep with myself for the next 4 years.

...then you are not, in my view of the popular idea idea, a moderate. Moderates are, to me, the ones who say "Gee, I don't know who I'm gonna vote for yet because I wanna see where they stand on the issues..." as though the best time to find out about a candidate is when he/she is actively courting you and their records don't matter.

[itsbob (Premo)]

i thought a moderate was who kicked you out of the private forums!