Is "Moderate" a bad word?

[jsamuel]

This thread is not for bashing one side or another, but rather to look at how the media will label candidates as "moderate" or not.

John McCain has been seen as a "moderate" while many of us here have seen him fall in line with Bush on everything except for torture. This is a powerful word that would cause any uninformed member of the public to say...

Hmmm... either the "moderate" or the "extreamist".

Most people who are uninformed would choose the moderate. This can be a problem when being "moderate" has a nothing to do with record and everything to do with a label.

In other words, calling one candidate a "moderate" is as effective as smearing the other one.

[bryant69]

1. There's also Moderate in Style vs. Moderate in Policy

As another split.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[ibegurpard]

7. Any moderates in policy

should be outraged at the current state of our nation and screaming with the rest of us.

[bryant69]

11. That's true

But that doesn't mean there aren't "fault lines" on our own side for when we oust the Bush Gang.

Bryant

[julialnyc]

2. I find people usually use the word "moderate"

when they are trying to be as complimentary as possible over the actions of someone in the opposite party. I've heard people here call McCain, Hagel, ect... moderate after they have stood up to the president. On the other end, I've heard my husband's republican father ask us why democrats won't lean to the more moderate side like Lieberman. It's almost like a compliment from the opposite side (and sure to make a person disliked on their own side of the aisle).

[sui generis]

3. there is one thing that the "other" side seems to be better at

than us, when under political heat, and that is to appeal to their base.

We want a huge tent, and that's great, but the reality is the tent is only one size and if you slide it too far to the right the people on the left are "left" out in the rain.

Using "moderates" to appeal to the "middle" means defining everyone who is not a moderate as an extremist.

It's a divisive argument. Do they represent our values or not. If they don't then terms like "moderate" are meaningless. It's not extremism to expect that Americans shouldn't have to starve to death in our own streets, or that our seniors should not be homeless and sick, or that our children should have an education.

It's not moderate to think that favoring faith based 501(c)3's over secular orgs is how we should prioritize our public money spend.

All that matters is whether our candidates support our base. Until we learn that lesson winning is going to be impossible.

[julialnyc]

6. Also by doing this

It fails to go after what could be the winning group of voters.............. people who have never voted before........ they need inspiration (not "I guess I'll vote for you because you're not as bad as the other guy). You have to risk turning some people off in order to turn more onto your message.

[julialnyc]

22. The right knows

That if a woman's right to choose is a voters number one concern, there is no way they would vote republican even if they tried to look like they "understood". Why can't democrats realize that if someone is really crazy about anti-abortion they will NEVER vote democrat no matter how much politicians act like they "understand".

Democrats are supposed to be the party of civil rights and they shouldn't be ashamed of it..... THAT will inspire new voters!

[sui generis]

23. right on! we need to stand up for what we are, not try to be

something we are not.

[julialnyc]

25. honesty goes a long way

The fundies know that Bush is being honest about wanting to stop a woman's right to choose, bash gay people, make church and state as closely connected as possible, ect.....
and their voters got to the polls for these issues.



There are more of us then then, but for some reason democratic politicians don't realize that standing up for civil rights, justice and peace will get soooooooo many more voters than trying to coerce a few from the other side (who won't be coming any way)

[Lerkfish]

4. its shorthand for "someone who agrees with me" but is meant to mean

"someone you should agree with".

its an attempt to make something unpalatable more acceptable to someone else.

hence, the DLC saying we should be more "moderate" and accept anti-abortion, anti-gays and prowar hawks as our leaders.

[Hosnon]

5. In its strictest sense I think that 'moderate' is a beautiful word.

Everything in moderation.

[julialnyc]

9. sure in the strictest sense in the way we live our lives (work, eat,ect..)

but in politics............ rights, freedom, compassion should come with passion not moderation

[KarenInMA]

8. No. Moderate means not extremist.

[sui generis]

14. so one moderate in the barrel makes all the rest of us extremists

that's how it's used. Joe Lieberman is a moderate, you know.

:shrug:

[KarenInMA]

18. So am I.

Just because I believe in the free market economy, and I'm not screaming about black hellicopters and I'm not a PETA member, and I can shoot a gun, and I want to see welfare reforms, and I think the death pentalty is sometimes justified, that does not mean I am a republican.

[jsamuel]

19. right, but does it mean your "moderate"

and even if you would call yourself one, would the media bestow it upon you like they have for John McCain and other "moderate conservatives"?

[sui generis]

20. oh, but you sound kind of normal

in the base, even though you paint everyone not like yourself as an extremist with those examples above . . . as we all do when start comparing.

I'm talking about the ones who think that maybe sexual orientation issues aren't very important, and that it's okay to use the constitution to REMOVE rights (exactly what a constitution is never supposed to do, by definition) or that there really shouldn't be a separation of church and state or that intelligent design should be taught as science, etc. etc., or that a woman shouldn't have the right to choose what happens to her own body.

Because those people do not represent the base, and going after the long shot chance that they might vote, whatever you want to call them, means abandoning me and abandoning my support and the support and the sure vote of my family, and that's just stupid.

[KarenInMA]

24. those aren't democrats, silly! Those are republicans!!

[dogday]

10. If Moderate means Liar-then forget it

McCain lied like a dog last weekend and it made me sick. I kind of admired him in the past and when he resorted to touring with Bush during 2004, I got a yuck feeling and after last weekend, I would not vote for him ever..

[geek tragedy]

12. Nothing wrong with being a moderate. However, there is a problem

with being a dick about it, like the DLC does.

[BurtWorm]

13. Moderate has come to mean something other than non-extreme.

Because the extreme right owns the US government now, "moderate" has come to mean "accommodationist with the extreme right" when it's applied to a Democrat. When applied to a Republican, it means "less extreme."

[julialnyc]

17. in other words

in means out of touch with the base constituency of your own party!

[stillcool]

15. I find the use of speech in all things cable media provides....

provocative, and approaching a near perfect art form. Their usage of the oh so right demeaning phraseology at the right time is uncanny. And the way they turn around any and all bits of criticism right back from whence it came, without a whiff of acknowledgement to facts in evidence, is anything but informative. The corporate media is only a problem for those who watch it. There are a slew of newspapers reporting great articles on a daily basis without the use of such lingual gymnastics.

[jsamuel]

16. One thing I hear all the time is "moderate conservative", but I never hear

"moderate liberal"

Almost like it is a prequisite to be a conservative in order to be moderate...?

[LittleClarkie]

21. I'm a liberal where I live and a moderate here

Depends on who's lookin' at ya I guess.