Topic: The Squishy Middle

[Weisshaupt]

I know part of this is just a desire for unity on 9/11, but for some reason it really irritates me.

Ten years ago today, Americans united in a way few had ever seen. Since then, a wedge has been driven between us.
Politicians, cable-TV commentators and national media have created a Blue (Democrat) America and a Red (Republican) America.
A funny thing happened as I traveled the country in recent weeks: Things were not as they have been portrayed. Republicans, Democrats and independents do not think of themselves as ruby-red or bright-blue partisans.
Instead, they think of themselves as Americans who don't fit neatly into boxes and still believe America can meet any challenge, solve any problem, if politicians will just get out of the way.

That last statement is an expression of Conservative/Libertarian partisan politics. In my world, you can't call yourself "American" unless you believe it, but if "most Americans" believed this, no Democrat would ever be elected because the one thing they ALWAYS promise to do is "get in the way" -And the implication that 9/11 was used as a wedge to destroy unity is just stupid BS. Any political unity we had was destroyed in the 1960s - Vietnam, Race Riots,  welfare destroyed it.

Steve McMahon, a Democrat who runs the Purple Strategies consulting firm with Republican Alex Castellanos, has a warning for incumbents of both parties:"Americans are completely fed up with the gridlock. They can't believe no one is willing to compromise, or that both sides would take America to the edge of default -- while the whole world watched in disbelief -- just to score political points.
"Now they are perfectly willing to toss everyone out, including politicians they have voted for over and over again. This isn't a partisan problem. It's an incumbent's nightmare."Mark Rozell, a public-policy professor at George Mason University, believes "the public is not as polarized as commonly assumed." Instead, it is "more in the middle than anything."

I hate people who like to pretend they are above the fray. Driving us to default wasn't to score political points, it was to stop the spending we can't afford. Period. Its a god damn war over if it is best to have government do for you, or you do for yourself that has been going on since FDR, and these "Independent" voters who don't fit into a box had better F'ing pick a side. We have done nothing but "compromise" as the Anti-American, "Government is there to get in your way" liberals ratchet us away from these ideals "everyone" believes in.

most care more about how a policy affects their daily lives than about whether it helps Democrats or Republicans.

 Gridlock is the only thing from keeping us from losing all of our freedoms completely.  If you aren't going to pay attention, and you only care when it affects you personally, then it will be too late.  I am afraid these people deserve that same fate of the Liberals they help through their inattention.

[Pandora]

It is deeply irritating to me as well, and I know exactly why.  The "unity" they desire is the entire country doing as the left desires; any resistance by we who see this and understand what it means for what remains of our liberty, our national ethos as Americans, is characterized as "gridlock" and "refusing to compromise".

That the right is painted as "refusing to compromise" by the left resonates most keenly with the squishy middle, who have no hard and fast principles as they pride themselves on picking items from Column A and Column B, according to their feelings and little other criteria, and calling it virtuously "independent".

This American is, indeed, fed up, with being called scurrilous names, accused of unconscionable language and behavior and demonized as being unpatriotic for refusing to cede any more sovereignty.

Unity is done and it is the left that has wrought it.

[Libertas]

Yup.  But when proglodytes are holding up the agenda it is championed as principled leadership and protecting social gains and other such bullsplatter!  We are called intolerant, racists, extremists, religious zealots and cultists, mean-spritied, bitter-clinger's and other unpleasant and untrue slanderings!

The real moderate is a fvcking coward...a fool who places their own comfort and passiveness above principle, conviction and belief...they are cannon-fodder by choice and have no cause to bitch if riddled with bullets from either side.  I have no time or patience for such gutless wonders.

For those pretending to be moderate and are anything but (and we know for a fact 90% of these are die-hard leftists agitators!) they alone are primarily responsible for the blood-letting that will ensue as a result of their treachery.

I do not recognize moderates to be of much value and their fate is tied to the leftists they feel compelled to accommodate.  Because we all know accommodation...loaded buzzwords like bipartisan, compromise and cooperation is completely lopsided to the benefit of the Left...so they can take their twisted brand of unity and stick it!

 

 

 

 

[LadyVirginia]

Congressman Joe Walsh spoke at a memorial yesterday. He began by acknowledging the desire many have to want everyone to get along, have unity, yada, yada but then he reminded everyone that 9/11 memorials aren't about us.  It's about the people who were killed--not died--killed.  Then he used a word many avoid.  He said evil exists and we should remember that.

[Libertas]

I'm glad some still see it correctly!

 

[Pandora]

Congressman Joe Walsh spoke at a memorial yesterday. He began by acknowledging the desire many have to want everyone to get along, have unity, yada, yada but then he reminded everyone that 9/11 memorials aren't about us.  It's about the people who were killed--not died--killed.  Then he used a word many avoid.  He said evil exists and we should remember that.

Damn right, killed!  Murdered!  And our response every year should be a display of militant pride with war music, not treacly victimhood.  Or a Day of Service!  What the hell do we have to atone for that we need "to serve" on a day when the militias ought to be out in full force, drilling, instead.

[charlesoakwood]

What we need is closure, not the closure desired by liberals and some non-westerner ideologies, the kind we achieved
in 1945. That was true closure.

[LadyVirginia]

What we need is closure, not the closure desired by liberals and some non-westerner ideologies, the kind we achieved
in 1945. That was true closure.

 

[Predator Don]

I know part of this is just a desire for unity on 9/11, but for some reason it really irritates me.

Ten years ago today, Americans united in a way few had ever seen. Since then, a wedge has been driven between us.
Politicians, cable-TV commentators and national media have created a Blue (Democrat) America and a Red (Republican) America.
A funny thing happened as I traveled the country in recent weeks: Things were not as they have been portrayed. Republicans, Democrats and independents do not think of themselves as ruby-red or bright-blue partisans.
Instead, they think of themselves as Americans who don't fit neatly into boxes and still believe America can meet any challenge, solve any problem, if politicians will just get out of the way.

That last statement is an expression of Conservative/Libertarian partisan politics. In my world, you can't call yourself "American" unless you believe it, but if "most Americans" believed this, no Democrat would ever be elected because the one thing they ALWAYS promise to do is "get in the way" -And the implication that 9/11 was used as a wedge to destroy unity is just stupid BS. Any political unity we had was destroyed in the 1960s - Vietnam, Race Riots,  welfare destroyed it.

Steve McMahon, a Democrat who runs the Purple Strategies consulting firm with Republican Alex Castellanos, has a warning for incumbents of both parties:"Americans are completely fed up with the gridlock. They can't believe no one is willing to compromise, or that both sides would take America to the edge of default -- while the whole world watched in disbelief -- just to score political points.
"Now they are perfectly willing to toss everyone out, including politicians they have voted for over and over again. This isn't a partisan problem. It's an incumbent's nightmare."Mark Rozell, a public-policy professor at George Mason University, believes "the public is not as polarized as commonly assumed." Instead, it is "more in the middle than anything."

I hate people who like to pretend they are above the fray. Driving us to default wasn't to score political points, it was to stop the spending we can't afford. Period. Its a god damn war over if it is best to have government do for you, or you do for yourself that has been going on since FDR, and these "Independent" voters who don't fit into a box had better F'ing pick a side. We have done nothing but "compromise" as the Anti-American, "Government is there to get in your way" liberals ratchet us away from these ideals "everyone" believes in.

most care more about how a policy affects their daily lives than about whether it helps Democrats or Republicans.

 Gridlock is the only thing from keeping us from losing all of our freedoms completely.  If you aren't going to pay attention, and you only care when it affects you personally, then it will be too late.  I am afraid these people deserve that same fate of the Liberals they help through their inattention.

The "middle" is reserved for those unwilling to take a stand. Cowards hiding behind the excuse of " I just want to be left alone".
I want to be left alone, but not at the expense of my country.

[LadyVirginia]

I married into the squishy middle and being too polite they didn't say much about my side of the family that talked politics at the table and went to rallies etc.

They didn't like Rush or talk radio because those people are mean etc.

Ah, but how times have changed.  Probably won't ever see any of them at a tea party rally but my in-laws now email me political cartoons.  Believe me when I say that's big.

They finally woke up.

[Alphabet Soup]

There's another term for people who prefer the middle of the road - "roadkill"

[Pandora]

There's another term for people who prefer the middle of the road - "roadkill"

'Zack RIGHT!

Maaaaary ........

[ToddF]

Steve McMahon, a Democrat who runs the Purple Strategies consulting firm

That whole article is nothing but an advertisement for a consulting firm.

Any article like this, just go back to that American Thinker piece about how JournoTards insert their own retardation into articles.  How does it go again...insert some experts, or something like that.

JournoTard wishes to create meme about the so-called middle...JournoTard consults "expert" with JournoTard's particular agenda...article.

[AlanS]

Steve McMahon, a Democrat who runs the Purple Strategies consulting firm with Republican Alex Castellanos,

most care more about how a policy affects their daily lives than about whether it helps Democrats or Republicans.

Republican=RINO, no doubt.

[Libertas]

There's another term for people who prefer the middle of the road - "roadkill"

Ed Zachary!

And remember, going in reverse just to make sure is OK!

 

[Weisshaupt]

And remember, going in reverse just to make sure is OK!
 

Double Tap.

Zombieland Rule "Double Tap"

[jpatrickham]

Yup.  But when troglodytes are holding up the agenda it is championed as principled leadership and protecting social gains and other such bull splatter!  We are called intolerant, racists, extremists, religious zealots and cultists, mean-spirited, bitter-clinger's and other unpleasant and untrue slanderings!

The real moderate is a fvcking coward...a fool who places their own comfort and passiveness above principle, conviction and belief...they are cannon-fodder by choice and have no cause to bitch if riddled with bullets from either side.  I have no time or patience for such gutless wonders.

For those pretending to be moderate and are anything but (and we know for a fact 90% of these are die-hard leftists agitators!) they alone are primarily responsible for the blood-letting that will ensue as a result of their treachery.

I do not recognize moderates to be of much value and their fate is tied to the leftists they feel compelled to accommodate.  Because we all know accommodation...loaded buzzwords like bipartisan, compromise and cooperation is completely lopsided to the benefit of the Left...so they can take their twisted brand of unity and stick it!

 

 

 

 ::double bird::

INDEPENDANT! Now there is a word for you! Covers a whole bunch of ground. I consider myself an Independent only because I do not agree with the establishment Republican Party. I consider myself a Constitutional Conservative with Social Conservative tendencies. Trouble is, that don't fit on my voters registration card. In Indiana you can be an Independent, Republican, or Democrat, or other. Now that other could be Libertarian, Communist, so my choices are limited. Independent covers way to much ground from Liberal to Conservative. Sean Hannity was able to put Conservative on his voter registration card. I hate being associated with Liberals, because Independent is way to broad. Need to create Conservative. Liberals can call themselves anything they want. I have a really good name for them if they want it! 

[Libertas]

Agreed.  Indpendent does not and should not automatically equate to moderate, that's the fricken myth pushed by JurnoTards and PolySci morons in the MFM & academia!  Independence is a traditionally American trait.  What the hell is moderation?  In temper and temperance maybe it is fine, but of little use beyond that!

!