The End of Moderates, and What It Means

Politics • 1/10/14 5:48:48 am • Views: 1,443

At the same time, moderate Democrats have been running for the exits during the last two cycles. The latest to step down is Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-N.C.), who announced Wednesday that he would retire after nine terms.

McIntyre is a Blue Dog Democrat who often broke ranks with his party, most notably on the federal health-care law, which he opposed in 2010. He sits in the third most conservative district held by a Democrat and survived the 2012 election by the skin of his teeth, outpacing Republican David Rouzer by a slimmer margin (about 700 votes) than any other incumbent that year.

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5 comments

BusyMonster Fri, Jan 10, 2014 7:37:49am

I think what it means is this national discussion that we’ve been having for the last 30 years is pretty much out of bullshit, and down to two things: #1, is this a democracy, yes or no, and #2, does this nation take care of its own citizens, yes or no, and the rest of it is fluff that will be boiled out of the discussion.

“Moderates” are people who, IMHO, want to have it both ways. They want the job of being a popularly-elected politician, but they want the slime and grease that comes with jockying the system to their advantage, as well. I can’t stand people who won’t stand for themselves, so I’m glad to see phony “moderates” finally vanishing. It allows us to frame this conversation more clearly, and judging by the way the far right’s conversation is going it won’t be long before the choice is black-and-white stark: you can vote for a bullying asshole who may shut down your public works if you displease him, or you can hire a rational adult to do a job.

Randall Gross Fri, Jan 10, 2014 2:37:58pm

The discussion has gone on much longer than 30 yrs, and politics is a game of inches not miles. I’m a moderate, and no matter how extreme either side gets I will remain a moderate. If things get too crazy left, I will shift back to Republican as easily as I shifted to Democrat. I know. It drives hard partisans crazy that I live by principle, not my team right or wrong.

EPR-radar Fri, Jan 10, 2014 2:44:26pm

re: #2 Randall Gross

The discussion has gone on much longer than 30 yrs, and politics is a game of inches not miles. I’m a moderate, and no matter how extreme either side gets I will remain a moderate. If things get too crazy left, I will shift back to Republican as easily as I shifted to Democrat. I know. It drives hard partisans crazy that I live by principle, not my team right or wrong.

I used to vote for the Republicans more often than for the Democrats, but not any more.

Theoretically, it is possible that I might vote GOP again in the future, but that would take massive changes from the status quo. For example, the Democrats would need to be completely taken over by some lunatic fringe or another, while the Republicans would have to provide public policy proposals that don’t amount to piddling on fire hydrants and baying at the moon.

I don’t expect sufficient change in the parties to change my current ways (no votes for the GOP, ever) in my lifetime.

aagcobb Fri, Jan 10, 2014 4:03:06pm

Keep in mind that what we view as “moderate” is really very conservative by historical and world standards. For example, the ACA, which McIntyre voted against, demonstrating his “moderation”, is based on a Republican idea hatched by the Heritage Foundation and enacted into law by GOP Governor and eventual Presidential nominee Mitt Romney, but as of 2009 it magically morphed into a “liberal” idea. In any other developed nation, Barack Obama would be the leader of the conservative party.

subterraneanhomesickalien Fri, Jan 10, 2014 11:06:20pm

Social Security was not a moderate compromise.

Medicare was not a moderate compromise.

The ACA was, so we’ll see how that works out.

Many of the things we see now as a middle position, like Health Care and Pension programs for the poor and old, were at their time very much radical proposals.

And this guy that voted against the ACA in the article isn’t a moderate, he’s a coward.

We like to confuse the two quite a lot these days.

Moderation these days mostly just consists of a repackaging of Reagan era supply side-ism, which can only be considered a moderate position because the right has continued its march toward full on Falangism. It also consists of a zeitgeist that must never ever admit that Liberals are ever right about anything ever.

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