Goldilocks searched for middle ground– her porridge had to be not too hot, not too cold, just right. Her bed had to be not too hard, not too soft, just right.
Many people feel exactly the same way about their politics. They are sick of the extremes. Apparently some of the people who have joined a new group called the NO Label group feel the same way.
According to the Washington Post:
When the porridge is either too hot or too cold, the moment for something in between is ripe. More Americans now self-identify as independent rather than Republican or Democrat, even though they may be forced by a lack of alternatives to vote in traditional ways.
But what if there were an alternative? There’s little appealing about either party dominated by a base that bears little resemblance to who we are as a nation or the way most of us live our lives.
Yet moderate Democrats and moderate Republicans alike have been banished. Purged, really. Some of them have landed in the No Labels camp.
Closer inspection tells more about the No Labels:
In a political culture where moderation is the new heresy, centrism is fast becoming the new black.
Political outliers – not quite Republican, not quite Democrat – are forming new alliances in a communal search for “Home.” Exhausted by extremism and aching for real change, more and more Americans are moving away from demagoguery and toward pragmatism.
Soon they may have options. A new political group, No Labels ( www.nolabels.org), is hoping to mobilize and support a centrist political movement. Led by Republican strategist Mark McKinnon and Democratic fundraiser Nancy Jacobson, the organization has raised more than $1 million so far – and the formal launch isn’t until next month. Backers include Andrew Tisch, co-chair of Loews Corp.; Ron Shaich, founder of Panera Bread; and Dave Morin, a former Facebook executive.
The group hopes to attract politicians who feel that they’ve lost elections for being too moderate and voters who feel homeless. There are plenty of each.
At this point, it seems remote that a centrist party could succeed. On the other hand, there are plenty of people out there who just aren’t satisfied with what the Democrats or the Republicans have to offer. Many folks are tired of gridlock and their representatives voting along party lines, refusing to compromise in the interest of national improvement. Voters are tired of being mired in social issues of extremists, whether the issues are Family, Faith and Flag or God, Guns and Guts, or saving minnows. Voters want their government to deal with things that affect their everyday lives.
Is it possible for third parties to begin to dominate the political horizon? Can the old Republican and Democratic parties be replaced by far right groups like the various tea party movements and the No Labels movement? There are some interesting concepts to explore.
