Does anyone know what a moderate is?
Ok, everyone get out your dictionaries, It's time to reacquaint American politics with a quickly vanishing term: moderate.
No, it doesn't mean wishy-washy. It doesn't mean cowardly. It doesn't men undecided. It is not a synonym of appeasement. Two of the definitions found in Merriam-Webster apply to moderate as used in politics. Moderate:
- avoiding extremes of behavior or expression : observing reasonable limits
- professing or characterized by political or social beliefs that are not extreme
So why isn't the term used more frequently? Why don't political tests designate more people as moderates? Why is the political spectrum dominated by conservative vs liberal? Why are there so few moderates in Congress?
Well, it's because the moderate viewpoint has been slowly edged out of the current political debate, particularly in the United States. There are three primary reasons:
- Much of the base of each party is made up of the most zealous and ideologically-minded people. They are the ones who volunteer, do the legwork, get out voters, and make the party machine run. You can count on these voters to be at the polls in primary elections. That zealotry does not come from casual interest. It comes from the feeling that something of value is at stake. It comes from the fear that losing will cause them and/or their loved ones personal loss or harm. So, naturally to win their support you must represent their views. All of them. There are a number of different groups who are zealous on different issues: the environment, reproductive rights, religious freedom, guns, taxes, social welfare, and so on. This drives candidates towards the extreme pole of their party on ll test position. It exaggerates differences rather than focusing on common ground.
- Focusing on extremes makes politics easier. Fear is a great motivator. Portraying your opponent's policies, or your opponent, as dangerous makes is the quickest way to get people on your side. It creates black and white positions that are easy to explain in soundbites, negating the need for details or debate. It gives people one of two choices, and their ideology makes the choice obvious without thinking. That, my friend, is political gold.
- Focusing on extremes is good for the media business. Calm, reasoned discourse on complex issues is boring and takes too much time. Audiences don't have the patience for it. Moderation does not get people riled up and coming back for more. Moderation is not a good lead in for TV viewers. Moderation is not good click bait. Dangerous extremist positions are.
That is why you don't hear much about moderates. It is why moderate candidates have a hard time winning elections. It is why moderate viewpoints are not heard in political debates or on the news. It is why the term moderate is discounted by pollsters.
I have taken tests before that are supposed to determine your political position, primarily for my own amusement. Many have proved faulty or biased, more aimed at convincing a person they re libertarian or some other ideology. I recently took the 8 Values test. The publishers admitted that the political ideology match was a work in progress, and asked for feedback to make it better. Good for them. They are going to get it.
Below are the results of my test:
Now in what universe does someone who is moderate on three out of four issues and only slightly leaning progressive on the fourth automatically become a liberal?
- Economic Axis; Centrist
- Diplomatic Axis: Balanced
- Civil Axis: Moderate
- Societal Axis: Progressive
If anyone should be labeled as a moderate, it is someone whose most divergent view is about 60/40.
Lest you think that the test is taking into account the much different views of classic liberalism from the 1800s, it's not. The economic results would disqualify me from being a classic liberal. No, it seems that in the current political atmosphere I'm a liberal, even though I'm a moderate!