What Happened to all the Political Moderates?

[Marnetmar]

Dwight Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson.

When and why have these kinds of people, which America now desperately needs, gone away? Why can't we take a rational, pragmatic approach to our problems anymore?

[MrMittens]

Johnson moderate!?

[Franzl]

Dwight Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson.

When and why have these kinds of people, which America now desperately needs, gone away? Why can't we take a rational, pragmatic approach to our problems anymore?

They haven't gone away. Today's Democratic Party is the home of all reasonable moderates, whereas the Republican Party has become the anti-anyone but upper class, anti-non-white, anti-progress and anti-science party. Oh, and anti-facts in general.

Unfortunately, though , given the vast power that even a strongly defeated minority has in the U.S., nothing can be done if one of the two parties has gone off the deep end.

[MrMittens]

Dwight Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson.

When and why have these kinds of people, which America now desperately needs, gone away? Why can't we take a rational, pragmatic approach to our problems anymore?

They haven't gone away. Today's Democratic Party is the home of all reasonable moderates, whereas the Republican Party has become the anti-anyone but upper class, anti-non-white, anti-progress and anti-science party. Oh, and anti-facts in general.

Unfortunately, though , given the vast power that even a strongly defeated minority has in the U.S., nothing can be done if one of the two parties has gone off the deep end.

To be fair 48% of the electorate did vote for them.

[Franzl]

Dwight Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson.

When and why have these kinds of people, which America now desperately needs, gone away? Why can't we take a rational, pragmatic approach to our problems anymore?

They haven't gone away. Today's Democratic Party is the home of all reasonable moderates, whereas the Republican Party has become the anti-anyone but upper class, anti-non-white, anti-progress and anti-science party. Oh, and anti-facts in general.

Unfortunately, though , given the vast power that even a strongly defeated minority has in the U.S., nothing can be done if one of the two parties has gone off the deep end.

To be fair 48% of the electorate did vote for them.

Yes, but 48% do not support their actual policies. Look at opinion polls on the issues. The GOP, despite all its losses, is still very good at selling its product to gullable voters in whose interest it can't be to support them.

[Lief 🗽]

They're all Democrats now, as Franzl points out.

[MrMittens]

Dwight Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson.

When and why have these kinds of people, which America now desperately needs, gone away? Why can't we take a rational, pragmatic approach to our problems anymore?

They haven't gone away. Today's Democratic Party is the home of all reasonable moderates, whereas the Republican Party has become the anti-anyone but upper class, anti-non-white, anti-progress and anti-science party. Oh, and anti-facts in general.

Unfortunately, though , given the vast power that even a strongly defeated minority has in the U.S., nothing can be done if one of the two parties has gone off the deep end.

To be fair 48% of the electorate did vote for them.

Yes, but 48% do not support their actual policies. Look at opinion polls on the issues. The GOP, despite all its losses, is still very good at selling its product to gullable voters in whose interest it can't be to support them.

Or alternatively these 'gullible voters' might just have preferred Republican policies to Democratic policies. Seriously don't talk about Republican's alienating minority groups, when you have just written off half the electorate.

[Cobbler]

Lyndon Johnson is not a moderate.

[Yelnoc]

Lyndon Johnson is not a moderate.

Taken' 'way our right t' 'press 'm n*ggers, hur dur...

[Donerail]

Primaried.

[Cobbler]

Lyndon Johnson is not a moderate.

Taken' 'way our right t' 'press 'm n*ggers, hur dur...

What exactly are you insinuating, that I'm supportive of Jim Crow for saying that Johnson wasn't a moderate? My comment had nothing to do with civil rights. It was with regards to economic policy. He created the Great Society programs. I think that would solidly put him in the left, and I think most people would probably agree with me.

[General White]

Lyndon Johnson is not a moderate.

Taken' 'way our right t' 'press 'm n*ggers, hur dur...

What exactly are you insinuating, that I'm supportive of Jim Crow for saying that Johnson wasn't a moderate? My comment had nothing to do with civil rights. It was with regards to economic policy. He created the Great Society programs. I think that would solidly put him in the left, and I think most people would probably agree with me.

I agree with you. How the hell is Johnson a moderate? he invented medicare and largly expanded the new deal was for progressive taxation , perserving the environment , created the war on poverty. Johnson is pretty much a Socialist.

For Moderates some are inn the GOP (on the ground there are much more moderates) and the Democrats are split between Liberals and Moderates but Liberals are much larger.

[General White]

Eisenhower & JFK are not Moderates.

[Marnetmar]

Regardless of what one's idea of a moderate is, the main point I'm trying to make here is that both sides of the political spectrum are moving further and further away from the center over time. Here's a little political compass chart I made based on ontheissues votematch scores from the following people. Unfortunately, I can't insert attachments or post links...

Left:

John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson: E -4, S -2
Bill Clinton: E -4, S -4
Barack Obama: E -5, S -6
John Kerry: E -7.5, S -8
Rocky Anderson: E -9, S -10

Right:

Richard Nixon: E 2, S 2
Gerald Ford: E 4, S 4
Ronald Reagan: E 4, S 6
Mitt Romney: E 2, S 8
George W. Bush: E 7.5, S 8
Rick Santorum: E 7.5, S 10.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Dwight Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson.

When and why have these kinds of people, which America now desperately needs, gone away? Why can't we take a rational, pragmatic approach to our problems anymore?

They haven't gone away. Today's Democratic Party is the home of all reasonable moderates, whereas the Republican Party has become the anti-anyone but upper class, anti-non-white, anti-progress and anti-science party. Oh, and anti-facts in general.

Unfortunately, though , given the vast power that even a strongly defeated minority has in the U.S., nothing can be done if one of the two parties has gone off the deep end.

This.

A better question would be: What happened to the Political Left?

[justfollowingtheelections]

Dwight Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson.

When and why have these kinds of people, which America now desperately needs, gone away? Why can't we take a rational, pragmatic approach to our problems anymore?

They haven't gone away. Today's Democratic Party is the home of all reasonable moderates, whereas the Republican Party has become the anti-anyone but upper class, anti-non-white, anti-progress and anti-science party. Oh, and anti-facts in general.

Unfortunately, though , given the vast power that even a strongly defeated minority has in the U.S., nothing can be done if one of the two parties has gone off the deep end.

This.

A better question would be: What happened to the Political Left?

There hasn't been a political left in the US since before WWII

[General White]

Dwight Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson.

When and why have these kinds of people, which America now desperately needs, gone away? Why can't we take a rational, pragmatic approach to our problems anymore?

They haven't gone away. Today's Democratic Party is the home of all reasonable moderates, whereas the Republican Party has become the anti-anyone but upper class, anti-non-white, anti-progress and anti-science party. Oh, and anti-facts in general.

Unfortunately, though , given the vast power that even a strongly defeated minority has in the U.S., nothing can be done if one of the two parties has gone off the deep end.

This.

A better question would be: What happened to the Political Left?

There hasn't been a political left in the US since before WWII

There is a political left but its not huge Bernie Sanders,Dennis Kucinich,Russ Fiengold,Progressive Democrats Of America,Barney Frank are many that come to mind.

[politicallefty]

As others have said, they exist only in the Democratic Party. It only seems like they've disappeared because they no longer exist in both sides of the aisle due to the Republican Party's lurch to the far-right. There are, of course, rare exceptions, but they do seem to be very near to extinction. The frightening thing is that Ronald Reagan could very well be considered a moderate in today's political paradigm.

[General White]

Regardless of what one's idea of a moderate is, the main point I'm trying to make here is that both sides of the political spectrum are moving further and further away from the center over time. Here's a little political compass chart I made based on ontheissues votematch scores from the following people. Unfortunately, I can't insert attachments or post links...

Left:

John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson: E -4, S -2
Bill Clinton: E -4, S -4
Barack Obama: E -5, S -6
John Kerry: E -7.5, S -8
Rocky Anderson: E -9, S -10

Right:

Richard Nixon: E 2, S 2
Gerald Ford: E 4, S 4
Ronald Reagan: E 4, S 6
Mitt Romney: E 2, S 8
George W. Bush: E 7.5, S 8
Rick Santorum: E 7.5, S 10.

Oh i got you. And i agree but i wold change around the chart a bit but thats just opinions.

[angus]

SJoyceFla is right.  Back in the days of the smoke-filled rooms in which candidates were vetted by kingmakers there emerged moderates capable of appealing to broad swaths.  Nowadays, democracy is all the rage, unfortunately, and it's all about turning out the base.  

Whither the moderates?  Primaried.  No doubt about it.

[smoltchanov]

Most moderates now are Indies (just like me)))) Some - Democrats, a party which (especially activists) rather dislikes, but at least tolerates them. Very few - Republicans, because Republican party became almost intolerant of them. Yeah, Democrats are better in this aspect. But only LITTLE better...

[TNF]

Dwight Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson.

When and why have these kinds of people, which America now desperately needs, gone away? Why can't we take a rational, pragmatic approach to our problems anymore?

They haven't gone away. Today's Democratic Party is the home of all reasonable moderates, whereas the Republican Party has become the anti-anyone but upper class, anti-non-white, anti-progress and anti-science party. Oh, and anti-facts in general.

Unfortunately, though , given the vast power that even a strongly defeated minority has in the U.S., nothing can be done if one of the two parties has gone off the deep end.

This.

A better question would be: What happened to the Political Left?

There hasn't been a political left in the US since before WWII

Somebody better tell Henry Wallace's Progressive Party, the New Left, and the Naderite movement that, then.

[King]

Lyndon Johnson was probably the most economically left President in U.S. history.

The answer is that they are now Democrats and all look left by comparison.

[bore]

Dwight Eisenhower, Gerald Ford, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson.

When and why have these kinds of people, which America now desperately needs, gone away? Why can't we take a rational, pragmatic approach to our problems anymore?

They haven't gone away. Today's Democratic Party is the home of all reasonable moderates, whereas the Republican Party has become the anti-anyone but upper class, anti-non-white, anti-progress and anti-science party. Oh, and anti-facts in general.

Unfortunately, though , given the vast power that even a strongly defeated minority has in the U.S., nothing can be done if one of the two parties has gone off the deep end.

This.

A better question would be: What happened to the Political Left?

There hasn't been a political left in the US since before WWII

Somebody better tell Henry Wallace's Progressive Party, the New Left, and the Naderite movement that, then.

It certainly wouldn't take a long time.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Since the Reagan Revolution the country was divided by class rural vs urban,  rich vs poor. Where the income disparity has risen to levels unforseen in history before. Whereas during the Depression yrs incomes were very close apart. There are no moderates able to bridge the gap.