Is moving to the center possible in todays politics esp. with an election near?
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  Is moving to the center possible in todays politics esp. with an election near?
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Question: It is possible in todays climate?
#1
Yes
 
#2
No
 
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Total Voters: 36

Author Topic: Is moving to the center possible in todays politics esp. with an election near?  (Read 3659 times)
Pericles
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« Reply #25 on: September 06, 2019, 04:56:10 PM »

A wealth tax is considered an 'extreme' policy but polls at 60-70% support, repealing Obamacare is also considered 'extreme' (probably less extreme) but polls at half the support of a wealth tax, if not less. The political center as described by the pundits is overall to the right of the actual political center in terms of what the electorate actually believes, mainly so on economic issues.
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Figs
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« Reply #26 on: September 12, 2019, 09:22:31 AM »

Trump can't move to the center because 1) he is who he is and is simply incapable of trying to be anyone else, and 2) everyone would see it as a cynical lie even if he could.
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Vittorio
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« Reply #27 on: September 16, 2019, 11:12:53 AM »

If Trump actually had any inclination to "move to the center", it would express itself in an attempt to outflank the Democratic candidate (presumably Biden or a centrist nominee like Harris) by moving to their Left on economics, the better to reinforce his outsider status.
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darklordoftech
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« Reply #28 on: September 17, 2019, 07:19:06 PM »

Obama appealed to a broad swath of individuals across America that why he won by nearly 10 million votes. Your president and party are the only who plays to there base because their ideas don't appeal to anyone unless they cheat or make hidden tones of racism.
The first time before moderates realized the guy was pretty far left. He only won by 4 million the 2nd time. Even with a weak candidate like Romney Obama did not win reelection by that good of a margin. Obama was the most racist president we've ever had. Almost everything he did divided us by that.

Because Trump is winning new voters everyday and talks about unity and bringing people together.
He is getting a higher percentage of African-Americans than W, Romney or McCain did. He is getting the highest # of Hispanics for a Republican since W. His appeal is bigger than the media wants to talk to about. You don't win states like Pennsylvania and Michigan only playing to your base. Trump has taken votes away from traditionally moderate democratic areas.  He has remade what the Republican base is.

But how has he actually appealed to these groups? I'm Gujju Indian and a vast vast majority of Indian people are anti-Trump.  The only ones who generally support Trump are part of upper wealthy circles.  Not to say there's anything wrong with that, but I think you may beoverstating his minority appeal -- even if it is higher than past GOP figures.
Trump's "I'm a businessman and I want to make deals for the United States" has broad appeal. It's his statements that get people in a stir. He's an entertainer and democrats take everything he says literally.
We don't need a leader to entertain us.

Most Americans think Dr. Oz is a great physician and leading medical scientist, and Dr. Phil is a groundbreaking therapist. Americans worship celebrity and entertainers.

Trump could have won as a Democrat. Had he spent 2000-2015 buddying up to Oprah and Jon Stewart (Jon Stewart is not that stupid, but suspend disbelief) he could have made the same sales pitch and crushed... Marco Rubio? And then Democrats would be rationalizing all his behavior, and Republicans would be clutching pearls at every tweet while Evangelicals slowly gathered torches and pitchforks.
That's the nature of the 2 party system. Why do democrats now defend globalism at every turn when under the Bush era they sounded much like Trump now and wanted to stay out of things?
You consider closing Gitmo “far left”, but you also attack the Democrats for being hawks?
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Libertas Vel Mors
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« Reply #29 on: January 04, 2020, 01:25:51 AM »

How do you define "moving to the center?" From the #analysis of most of the conservative world, HW Bush, Dole, McCain and Romney lost because they were too centrist, and W Bush only won reelection because he was "lucky" enough to be Prez when 9/11 happened. As far as Obama goes...

Obama did not support same-sex marriage in 2008 (he only supported civil unions).
Obama never championed (or spoke about) a $15/hr minimum wage, or even a $12/hr minimum wage
Obama kept combat forces in Afghanistan
Obama chose the compromise, Republican-conceived path to universal health coverage
Obama avoided talking about race relations at all until forced to by current events
Obama was a free-trader actively involved in negotiating the TPP.
Obama's immigration policies were partially responsible for net migration of undocumented immigrants back to Mexico in his second term.

If Barack Obama had been pro-life, he might have done well as a Republican.

It is true that Obama was further left than any President since LBJ, but that's because Clinton was a pure centrist, and you could argue Carter was center-right.

lmao what
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atheist4thecause
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« Reply #30 on: February 03, 2020, 08:01:47 AM »

Being in the Center is not only possible but necessary. Anybody who thinks President Trump is Far Right just hasn't been paying attention. President Trump campaigned on many formerly Democratic positions. The fact that he dominated the Midwest shows that he is, in fact, a Centrist. People often confused Centrism with Moderatism, but the important difference is that a Centrist is willing to go to the extremes on any single issue while Moderates are not. Centrists necessarily take issues from both sides, but Moderates don't necessarily.

Some of you will be extremely skeptical of my claim that President Trump is a Centrist, so I'll give you some issues he campaigned on either for the Republican nomination or General election:

1) Border Security - This became a major part of his campaign, and historically border security is a Democratic policy. By protecting borders you protect the wages and even rights of workers. Republicans have historically wanted to allow more lenient immigration policy to flood the labor pool, drop wages and benefit companies hiring that labor.

2) Planned Parenthood - While Trump was running for the Republican nomination, he did say that he wouldn't support funding for the abortion services of Planned Parenthood. He did say, however, that he would support the funding of other services Planned Parenthood has because they do a lot of great work, especially for women. Republicans have historically wanted to try to take away all funding from PH.

3) Health Care - President Trump advocated for Universal Health Care. He went as far to reference Scotland's system. He said that he will cover all people, even if it costs him votes. This is a Democratic policy.

4) Tariffs & Trade Deals - Democrats have long defended Tariffs as a tool to protect workers and punish countries who take advantage of their populations. Trump advocated for and has defended and implemented many tariffs. Trump also made similar objections that Democrats have made, especially people like Bernie Sanders, that trade deals are too beneficial to international corporations and not beneficial enough to American workers.

So there are a bunch of issues where President Trump is clearly on the Left on. He's clearly on the Right when it comes to tax cuts, judge nominations and other issues. If President Trump was so clearly on the definitive Right, you have to ask yourself why the Republican Establishment opposed him to such an extent. He was literally their last option. They went from Jeb Bush to Marco Rubio to John Kasich to Ted Cruz.

In general, you do see the candidates that are more towards the Center winning. That doesn't mean they have to be a Centrist like President Trump, but the Neoliberals and Conservatives are more towards the Center than the Libertarians or Progressives, and it's the Neoliberals and Conservatives that have dominated. The Tea Party had popped up and they were further Right than Conservatives IMO pushing stronger religious/social policy, but they were never able to win the Republican Presidential Nomination.

Progressives are starting to make a push to disrupt this a bit. Bernie Sanders has a real chance to win the Democratic nomination. I think it's likely that if he does win the Democratic nomination, he'll get crushed in the General election. If he is to have any chance of winning, he will likely have to move to the Center on some issues to entice Independents over to his side.
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bronz4141
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« Reply #31 on: February 03, 2020, 02:28:46 PM »

Yes, and it should happen more.
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Sumner 1868
tara gilesbie
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« Reply #32 on: February 03, 2020, 05:20:38 PM »

The center doesn't exist.
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bronz4141
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« Reply #33 on: February 03, 2020, 08:34:46 PM »


It does exist, it is just that progressives and conservatives have a outsized voice in politics.
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Hammy
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« Reply #34 on: February 04, 2020, 10:19:55 PM »

Moving to the center is a great way to have zero base and and cause your own party (whichever party does it) to get crushed.
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It’s so Joever
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« Reply #35 on: February 10, 2020, 08:07:57 PM »

Obama appealed to a broad swath of individuals across America that why he won by nearly 10 million votes. Your president and party are the only who plays to there base because their ideas don't appeal to anyone unless they cheat or make hidden tones of racism.
The first time before moderates realized the guy was pretty far left. He only won by 4 million the 2nd time. Even with a weak candidate like Romney Obama did not win reelection by that good of a margin. Obama was the most racist president we've ever had. Almost everything he did divided us by that.
I-......If you think the main reason Obama won by a large margin in 2008 compared to 2012 is because of his “appeal to the base”, then I suggest taking either a history class, or just googling the context of both elections.
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