How to answer appeasers who suggest "moving to the center"

[PurityOfEssence]

"What, you mean go left? We're already right of center."

[sui generis]

1. get them to Spell It Out

if what they're saying is code for:

1. blindly support the war
2. consider a federal amendment to the constitution to discriminate
3. remove a woman's right to decide what to do with her own body

Then Spell It Out for them:
g.e.t.f.u.c.k.e.d.

[BrainRants]

2. When a scale tilts to the right, you don't

add more weight to the right hand side to balance it, You add more to the left hand side.

I would argue we need to move further left.

[PurityOfEssence]

13. No argument here

Appeasers are fools: they're hated by all and they fail.

It's truly idiotic what we've done: we're spooked by the hate-machine of the right into disavowing all that's good about us, right down to the very name of "liberal". Not only is it deeply wrong, it doesn't work.

This was the point of the post: we're already too far to the right of center. There are many people thirsting for unapologetic liberal (oh, all right, progressive, if you must) programs, and the country sorely needs them.

Seriously, I didn't think the thread-starter was so damned inscrutible, but since so many have completely misunderstood it, I must have done a piss-poor job of sarcasm. Yikes.

[Maple]

3. The center must be quite different

in the US.

The majority of Canadians regard themselves as in the center, and the Liberal party plays to that center, which is why it usually gets elected...yet we refused to go to Iraq, are decriminalizing pot, and have moved to gay marriage.

[Dhalgren]

7. That's because you are a civilized country, populated

with reasonable, rational people. Come on! It isn't fair to compare yourselves to us...

[tavalon]

12. Agreed

I'm staying in the US to be a voice of reason against the winds of fascism, but in my heart of hearts, I know that Canada far more closely represents who I am.

[mattclearing]

4. Because becoming more like the other side is the best way to oppose them.

:eyes:

[JohnnyRingo]

5. I think they've moved the view perspective in this country

When republicans think Hannity and Limbaugh are "common sense moderates" it doesn't leave much room to their right.

It also makes the "center" Pat Buchanen.

I blame the Mainstream media for running the political spectrum projector.

[txaslftist]

6. By appeasers, I assume you mean democrats...

The type of democrats, like Billary, who think that moving centerward is the way to attract independent voters.

This a classic mistake, and I think it is one of perception. People think Bill Clinton won two elections because he 'moved to the center'. Even Clinton, I suspect, believes this. It's simply not true. Clinton won because he was extremely charismatic. Same reason Reagan won twice, simple charisma. Charisma that was altogether lacking in his opposition.

So the proposition that we must move to the center to succeed is flawed at its inception, because it was not a move to the center that succeeded in the past. It was charisma.

Republicans will not vote for a 'republican lite' when they have a real republican candidate. They are lock step loyal to their party, and will choose the one with the R next to the name every time. Democrats will not get excited by a republican lite candidate, so your centrist will not 'get out the base'. Independents aren't going to vote for a candidate unless he/she excites something in them. People don't get excited by candidates who don't stick to principles and enunciate them clearly.

So your Republican Lite candidate is doomed from the get go.

[PurityOfEssence]

11. So you agree with me

I hate the concept of sucking up to the right by drifting that way. The post is based on a play on words: when they say "go to the center", they mean head right. Since the party's already to the right of center, to "go to the center" would mean going to the left. (mild chuckle)

Guess I need to go back to joke school.

We need to fight class warfare, up front and by using that term.

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. Doing what you propose has gotten us nowwhere

This has been the Standard Operating Procedure for at least six electoral cycles and we keep loosing more and more, go back to what works.... grasroots, progresisve, liberal and populist messsage that made the party of Jefferson

[PurityOfEssence]

10. Re-read my post

I'm pointing out that the folly of moving to the right is misrepresented by calling it moving toward the center. We're already right of center; when people counsel us to move toward the center, what they're really saying is "move to the right". That's self-destructive.

It's a joke. Get it?

[DaedelusNemo]

9. The center is liberal

Take a look at the issues in the exit polls. Overwhelming majorities of people were for guaranteeing SS benifits, affordable health care for everyone, the Kyoto treaty, etc. including large numbers of republicans - most of which thought Bush agreed with them.

It's a brand name problem with the word 'liberal', not disagreement with liberal policies.