The Center-Right Myth

[Breeze54]

The Center-Right Myth

http://app.mx3.americanprogressaction.org/e/er.aspx?s=785&lid=7707&elq=9B4EBCF5CA9C4ABF8B980E79B39D114C

November 6, 2008

by Faiz Shakir, Amanda Terkel, Satyam Khanna, Matt Corley, Benjamin Armbruster, Ali Frick, and Ryan Powers


On Tuesday, President-elect Obama resoundingly defeated Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), delivering a mandate for Obama's progressive policy agenda. Obama ran on the most progressive platform of any presidential candidate in at least 15 years, "including a promise of universal health care coverage, a dramatic transformation to a low-carbon economy, and a historic investment in education." Nevertheless, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), whose party suffered tremendous losses Tuesday, insisted, "Democrats should not make the mistake of viewing Tuesday’s results as a repudiation of conservatism," adding, "America remains a center-right country." Similarly, Newsweek's Jon Meacham wrote an Oct.19 cover story titled "America The Conservative." In fact, some pundits are illogically arguing that both President Bush's 2004 election and Obama's 2008 election are proof that the country leans conservative. But the progressive direction of the country, symbolized in Tuesday's victory, is clear. Just prior to the election, 85 percent of Americans said they thought country was seriously off track. As Media Matters observed, "It is difficult to find an issue on which the public is more conservative now than it was 20 years ago."

THE PUNDITS' CLAIMS: An extensive list of conservative and mainstream pundits are claiming that the country is "center-right." Meacham wrote in his cover story that America "is more instinctively conservative than it is liberal" (he admitted that his argument was "probably going to look dumb, or at least out of step, for many months to come"). MSNBC's Joe Scarborough said on Oct. 29, "It is a center right country," particularly "on economic issues." Bill O'Reilly yesterday said, "America is still a center right country, even though the folks voted left last night." After the 2006 elections, pundits used the same argument. "These Democrats that were elected last night are conservative Democrats," said CBS' Bob Schieffer. "In Key House Races, Democrats Run to the Right," wrote the New York Times. In fact, the class of 2006, which came to power in part due to public disapproval of the Iraq war, was remarkably progressive, favoring raising the minimum wage, opposing Social Security privatization, and promoting "fair trade."

PROGRESSIVE BY THE NUMBERS: On Tuesday, the country both rejected conservative ideology as well as embraced new, progressive priorities. The latest Pew Research poll showed that only 25 percent of the public agrees with the centerpiece of the conservative tax program: making Bush's tax cuts permanent. The public also agrees by 58 percent to 35 percent that the government should guarantee "health insurance for all citizens even if it means raising taxes." Exit poll data showed that 60 percent of voters were worried about rising health care costs and that 66 percent of those people backed Obama. A majority of Americans also want to expand environmental protections, increase the minimum wage, recognize same-sex marriage, and end the Iraq war, to name a few. Yesterday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) explained that the center of the country is progressive.

MANDATE DOUBLE-TALK: Pundits also are claiming that Obama's margin of victory does not give him a mandate for progressive change. Columnist Robert Novak wrote yesterday that Obama "neither received a broad mandate from the public nor the needed large congressional majorities." But in 2004, as Bush crowed about his "political capital," Novak argued that Bush's narrow victory was "of course" proof of a conservative mandate. Winning 52.4 percent to McCain's 46.3 percent, Obama's popular vote margin stands at 7,401,289 -- more than twice Bush's 2004 vote margin -- and he netted 63 more electoral votes than Bush. Novak also dismissed the 57-seat Democratic Senate majority (with two more seats potentially up for grabs). But conservativism's so-called 2004 "mandate" netted only four new seats, for a total of 55.

------------

"On Tuesday, the country both rejected conservative ideology as well as embraced new, progressive priorities."

Please make a note of it! ;)

:applause: :applause:

:toast:

[BurtWorm]

1. Shhhhh! The pundits might be listening!

:scared:

[Breeze54]

3. lol... they are spewing the BS but I just hope that DUers aren't being fooled!

;)

[valerief]

2. Right is wrong. Center is wimpy. Left is correct. And Merka became America when it voted left.

[Breeze54]

4. You said it! ~~ Isn't it grand!?!

:woohoo: What a breath of fresh air... finally! :D

[sampsonblk]

5. Damn straight - that was always a myth...

bolstered by lack of effort and courage on our side.

And let's not forget, it was (in part) GOP stupidity that has given us this opportunity. We can't expect them to stay stupid forever. So we need to use this opportunity to show the public why GOP conservative thinking is garbage - once and for all. Otherwise, they may reconstitute themselves and come back in a few years when times look better.

[Breeze54]

6. "we need to use this opportunity"... Exactly but there are some

on DU that think that we should be all 'kumbya' with the crazy RW GOP and all kiss and make up.
That won't work (from past experience) and they shouldn't let their guards down and get sucked
into a false sense of security.

Great post! Thanks!! ;)

[sampsonblk]

11. In my opinion, 'Kumbaya' is not an option after what they have done - nt

[AuntPatsy]

7. I have but I still fear that some are still more center right in their personal thinking even if

though they voted for President Obama and only voted at least this time because considering the economy, war, lack of health care available and or fear that the government was getting close to fascism it was in their best interests at the moment..

But I still think we need to keep our eyes open, our vigilance up because to think they still do not like the so called liberal Democratic government such as it is seen to be only allows them the upper hand to find a way to make the republican party once again a force to be reckoned with..

I don't trust any of those people because their selfishness allowed two stolen elections to remain without being investigated, they still wish for those crimes against our very country to be ignored by the ones they voted for and or forgotten all together, they showed themselves to be weak, selfish, angry and hateful individuals simply by continuing to ignore the danger signs from bush's reign which showed themselves fairly early on by the very fact that we had a full eight years of such...

Don't ever doubt, many of them will continue to carry inside them the very same prejudices and or dislike of all things even slightly liberal feeling and will in the future when they feel more secure in their personal day to day lives once again attempt to regroup and take over our nations government....

You can't ever trust such selfish shallow, easily led ordinary human beings such as Bush 2004 supporters..you can live side by side with them, but don't ever for one moment think they have changed inside, they have simply learned to hide their true selves until once again they can express their hate and prejudices out in the open once again without fear of ridicule...

And I say 2004 supporters because I honestly believe some were fooled in 2000, but if those same people still remained fooled in 2004 then that to me at least is proof they are beyond help and beyond having the ability to be trustworthy citizens of our democratic nation....

[Breeze54]

9. I totally agree, AuntPatsy ... Well said and Thank You!!

:hi: :toast:

:applause: :applause:

[jpljr77]

8. I'm not so sure it's a myth. Exhibit A: Prop 8

In CALIFORNIA(?!?) of all places, the citizens -- who turned out in record numbers -- voted to constitutionally disallow same sex marriage.

There are still a lot of hearts and minds to win over out there.

[Breeze54]

10. It seems to me that those who voted for Prop 8 were the religious RW of the Dem and Rethug parties

I may be wrong but I'm so sorry that happened. :(

We'll get it turned around. It'll take time but we'll get it done!

Hang in there... :hug:

[Orsino]

12. Prop. 8, Amendment 2, etc.

Yes, we're a surprisingly right-wing country, still deluded into thinking that civil rights should be on a ballot. The fact that we picked the honest conservative over the fascist for president doesn't change this essential fact.

[CADEMOCRAT7]

13. We are Center Right compared to Europe.

We do not have a mandate for Universal Health Care.

[Breeze54]

14. True but we do have Medicaid for the poor and the elderly... and

we will have UHC in a year or so, or sooner, I hope.

I actually DO have UHC right now, in MA. ;)

Onward and upward from here! :woohoo:

'All for one and one for all'! ;)

[CADEMOCRAT7]

16. We need UHC. YES WE CAN, onward and upward ! Amen.

I am happy for you in MA, lead the way ! Obama is our Global Leader, it just would make sense now for us to move forward into the 21st century and join with the EU in having UHC.

[LiberalPersona]

15. haha

Clinton won by a margin of 8.53% of the vote over Dole and 5.3% over HW Bush
Bush "won" by a margin of minus 0.5% over Gore and 2.4% over Kerry
Obama won by a margin 6.3% over McCain

A republican hasn't won a big margin of the popular vote since HW Bush, America has been shifting farther and farther left ever since he left office.