Center Right?
The whole push by the commentariat to label the nation, and President-Elect Obama, "center-right," is pathetic and ridiculous. But it's also clearly a time honored effort to, as Duncan Black often says, "piss off liberals."
I therefore humbly suggest a response sort of like this: In the old days, the policies espoused by Obama WOULD have been center-right -- tax cuts for the middle-class, infrastructure investment, prudent regulation of financial institutions, prudent use of American force abroad, etc. Many Republicans from 20 years ago or more might have readily signed up for a platform like that. If someone wants to call these things "center-right," that's fine, because it only how highlights how RADICALLY REACTIONARY the Bush Administration, the McCain campaign and the national Republican Party have become.
When the party leaving power has pursued redistribution of weath to the wealthiest, tax cuts only for the well-off, laissez faire financial markets, regressive energy policy, perpetual war against ginned-up boogeymen, supression of science, dysfunctional emergency services and the systematic implementation of a kleptocracy of, by and for the well-connected, I imagine any REASONABLE policy position could be described as "center-right." Finally, calling the incoming President "center-right" just gives more cover to those few actual "center-right" members of Congress (Snowe, Collins, Specter) to cooperate with Obama. Call it whatever you want. If it helps out working people and the credit redounds to the Democrats, I don't care much about the name.
I find the push to call our country a 'center-right' country is akin to the practice that some have had of calling our country a 'christian nation' which of course WE ARE NOT.
It seems to me that this is what they believe and want to convince others to believe and it often feels like an agenda rather than a perceived reality.
November 8, 2008 2:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Do you think it may have to do with the "new" Republican platform they may be creating? They think by labeling some of Obama's views as "center-right" aka Republican, they will benefit in the long run.
November 8, 2008 7:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's probably because they read Obama's book and listened to his speeches and read his platform.
Contrary to what McCain's campaign may have said, Barack has always been a very conservative democrat. Now, that is conservative in methodology and not necessarily in policy. I think our definitions are all screwed up after 40 plus years of propaganda from both parties.
This country is a median nation, just to the right of center or just to the left, but we don't function well at the extremes. A far left government would be just as damaging to this country as the far right one we just kicked out of office was. I think Obama represents the pendulum stopping in the true center for once.
Now we can see if we can actually keep it there.
November 8, 2008 7:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
Center-right, my ass! It's just a self-serving construction hyped by the right wingers to try to validate their demonization of anything "left". For that reason, it does matter, as it serves to perpetuate the image of the left as angry, dangerous, out of the mainstream, etc.
November 8, 2008 1:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Centrist" is fine by me, as the implications are generally inclusive. It can include anyone across the range of political philosophy who believes in the common good. But as soon as you insist on adding "-right" or "-left", that is language designed to perpetuate conflict.
Looking at my comment above, I see that I am guilty of the polarizing/demonizing language as well - "right wingers". I really should have qualified that by saying something like "rigid right wingers".
November 8, 2008 1:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think we are all going to need to learn a new language to describe our politics moving forward. The old definitions simply won't do anymore.
November 8, 2008 2:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
A new dialgogue and a new understanding that we really want our leaders to do what is best for our country regardless of whether the particular solution is percieved of as liberal or conservative. Really we need both applied in appropriate ways to appropriate degrees.
November 8, 2008 6:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
They can say whatever they want, they can convince themselves that this country was ever center-right, it didn't stop this landslide though and it won't stop the next one.
November 8, 2008 3:51 PM | Reply | Permalink