Escaping the Left/Right Straitjacket
American public opinion in almost every way we can measure bunches up toward the moderate middle. Yet increasingly the tone of politics seems to invite and reward extremism. FrumForum examines whether it has to be so. We have asked a range of individuals who identify themselves as centrists (or are so identified by others) some questions about their politics.
1) Would it be possible or desirable to create a broad consensus on the basics of public policy, either domestic or international?
2) On which domestic issues and international issues do people with whom you generally agree take positions that trouble you?
3) On which domestic issues and international issues do people with whom you generally disagree take positions that you welcome?
4) Which issues are so important to you that you cannot envision compromising on them?
5) Conversely have your political adversaries ever made arguments so compelling that they made you reconsider or revise long-held positions?
6) How can civility be brought back to political discourse?
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The one problem is that at first glance, anyway, I find myself stymied by the categories of "people with whom you generally agree/disagree." I honestly can't figure out which "side" I can fairly describe myself as "generally" agreeing with. If the right is David Frum and the left is, say, Howard Zinn, count me as a conservative; if the right is Sarah Palin and the left is - I dunno - Bill Moyers? - then put me down as a liberal. In short, while this questionnaire seems to me the basis for an important and necessary public conversation, it would be easier for me to plunge in if the questions were formulated somewhat differently.
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