What does "centrist" mean? Only in the last two decades or so

[mmonk]

has this term become such a part of the lexicon. To me it seems to mean trying to please everybody including your political opponent (or being conservative at times to get the opposition voters). In is in that vein I sometimes find it impractical or lacking a certain principle. I'm asking those that claim the label to give me a better definition and understanding so that I may understand your positions better. That way, maybe we will clash less and find common ground.

[Ian David]

1. If you're not pushing toward the right, or toward the left, then you're standing still.

Centrist really means Conservative, as far as I'm concerned.

[BlooInBloo]

2. If you can't figure out what a word means within 20+ years, then there's a problem somewhere.

[mmonk]

4. Unless it never has been defined. For example, Republicans

when I was a child such as Eisenhour seem more liberal than some Democrats. I guess those would be the Blue Dogs. So I gather those that straddle the Blue Dogs and the liberals are centrist? I'm asking for more clarification than me can't figuring it out as the problem.

[WinkyDink]

3. I think it's a fancy term for "pleasing the Soccer Moms, who just want us all to get along."

Not that "getting along" is bad per se, but I'd rather a full-bore Liberal approach to solving matters, no matter if some feathers get ruffled...or plucked.

[Breeze54]

5. I think it means.. 'Undecided'; 'Maybe'; 'Wishy-Washy'; 'A fence sitter'...

'Not firm in your beliefs', 'an excuse' not to vote as your constituents demand that you vote'; 'a reason to not be re-elected.' :P

[Doremus]

6. It's a political strategy, aka triangulation.

Play to the middle, don't rock the boat, appeal to as many people as possible.

I suppose it's a good strategy for political purposes.

For running a country, not so good.

[Breeze54]

7. Don't you mean 'strangulation'?

:P

[mmonk]

9. .

:rofl:

[laststeamtrain]

8. It means lots of dead armadillos. n/t

[droidamus2]

10. Well....

I don't know that there are many true centrist in the current political arena but my definition would be as follows. A centrist is not ideologically driven they are looking to solve problems and they don't really care if the solution is considered conservative or liberal as long as they can get it passed and it works. Now that's the definition of the ideal of centrism. I agree with people here that in practice it ends up being conservative lite because the 'centrists' never get anything done because they were about 'hurting somebodies feelings' and therefore play into the conservatives desire to keep things the same or role them back to some fictional 'perfect time' of the past.

[mmonk]

19. Probably close at least to the idea.

I think it gets confusing depending on the ideology of the beholder in terms of its application.

[SoCalDem]

11. Media takeover and proliferation of rightwing radio

re-defined a lot..

The "centrist" mantra was a clever ruse to "allow" dems & repubs to have some common ground..when it suited either of them...

same as "bi-partisan"

to a repub, bipartisan means Joe Lieberman & Zell Miller were with them

to a dem, it meant that Olympia Snow or Jim Jeffords were with them..

It's like telling a grossly ugly person that their hair looks great..when they ask, "how do I look?"

[DJ13]

12. It means a Democrat won

Its never used by the MSM when a Republican has won.

[mmonk]

29. In a way, you're right. It seems to be a one party term.

[bertman]

13. Good question, mmonk. I've always felt the definition of a centrist would be "someone who is

too timid or scared to take a stand." But the media types would define it as someone who is neither a real Conservative nor a real Liberal.

Over the last four to six years the definition, for me at least, morphed into "someone who acts like they are something else when in reality they are a corporatist."

Now that the election is over it has been re-defined to mean "someone who claims to be a Democrat but doesn't want to act like one because he/she is afraid of what the Republicans will say about him/her."

Sorry, I know that's confusing, but it's one of those words that has fluidity of meaning.

[mmonk]

16. I think today, labels mean less in real terms than they use to.

They do not really define well. For example, my father in law is a conservative and calls Hagel a liberal republican because of his reservations about the Iraq war. I try to explain to him that no, Hagel is a conservative that had reservations about the Iraq war. Then there are people like Lieberman who vote liberal on some issues, but are hard right on foreign policy and the security apparatus with government power. Some are just undefinable in the terms available I guess.

[wyldwolf]

14. We get this same thread every few months or so

It really is possible to actually take liberal positions on some issues and conservative positions on others. One doesn't have to live in an either/or, black or white world.

[mmonk]

25. I don't seek black or white positions across the board. Totally contradictory ones

seem a bit contorted though. Sometimes, they get in the way of needed opposition or debate on critical issues. And only one party seems to have "centrists". I was just looking for a definition of sorts.

[wyldwolf]

26. odd

See, I'm a centrist. I'm in favor of universal healthcare and gun control yet I'm also in favor of a strong pro-active military and balanced budgets.

Both parties have centrists. It's the level of passion you feel for certain issues that dictate which party you belong to. My wive's choir director is a centrist Republican, for example. He believes in funding the arts, gay rights, and the social safety net. But he passionately opposes abortion and so he identifies as a Republican.

It really is that simple. And most people fall within that range.

[mmonk]

30. Wow, I'm not used to hearing of Republicans in this day and time

for supporting such things as the arts. I guess where I have a problem is where Democrats in Congress that voted for such things as Cheney's push for even more spying power against Americans without probable cause knowing full well of the abuses (as a for instance) as being a centrist position instead of a strong rightwing position. I would think that a non ideological position or middle position would find such a vote too strong to the right.

[wyldwolf]

31. don't confuse "centrist" with "pragmatic" or even "I vote the way my district feels."

[mmonk]

32. I'm not. I consider a vote such as the Military Commissions Act

or domestic spying without a warrant hard rightwing votes. I never see from these same people a hard left vote on any particular issue. What I'm saying is don't confuse your positions to those elected officials who pretend those votes were moderate or part of a moderate pattern when they give their explanations for such votes.

[wyldwolf]

33. well, I do, too...

..but a centrist who votes that way might also vote in favor of no restrictions on a woman's right to choose, for example.

[mmonk]

34. Well yes, some might.

I may seem black and white liberal sometimes, but I'm not. I guess when I cast a vote, I want a general idea of what a person believes. That's where the problem with being a Democrat lies I guess. Republicans have a better idea of where their representatives stand.

[Solon]

35. The Republican you described is a single issue voter, not a "centrist"...

As far as your own positions, believing in balanced budgets isn't a left or right issue to begin with. Economic Conservative(i.e. free markets are the answer to everything) is NOT the same as Fiscal Conservatism(i.e. keep to a budget that balances in the end).

[leftstreet]

15. It means: "I want rich people above me and poor people below me" n/t

[Sebastian Doyle]

17. "centrist" means absolutely nothing

It was invented by the DLC types and what it "means" is whatever their agenda is at the moment.

There are actual moderates. Always have been, always will be, just as there are actual liberals, and actual conservatives. And fascist extremists who now go by the name "neoconservative".

But "centrism" is an entirely false construct from an entirely false group who claim to be (but are not) Democrats.

[bitchkitty]

18. I think a centrist is someone who compromises their values

for whatever reason - usually money or power.

[southern_dem]

20. It is another useless label

People who were paying attention during the campaign realize that Obama wasn't running under labels, he was running to fix the mess of the last 8 years.

[mmonk]

21. Useless label maybe, but it is used too much to ignore

since some believe it is a position or political philosophy.

[GreenArrow]

22. It means you ally yourself

with whichever side is winning.

[mmonk]

24. Interesting. Then you mean, of course, there is no defining core principle involved,

just being malleable to the expedient.

[Dukkha]

23. means someone who won't take a firm stand on anything

They sit it out until a winner is chosen or an issue is decided then support the winning side. Therefore they are useless

[wyldwolf]

27. Interesting. I'm a centrist and I take a firm stand on everything I believe in

:shrug:

[rucky]

28. A cross between Bull Moose and Know-Nothing. n/t

[cali]

36. I can give you an example of a centrist: Howard Dean.

[TheKentuckian]

37. I guess its when your liberal beliefs and your conservative beliefs

go into a couple of piles and they stack up even.

I bet a centrist is a rare bird but I guess its possible.