WOW!! An ideological shift towards moderate thought, fiscal responsibility, social justice, and balanced discourse!
Eviscerate the Proletariat it is not... BUT...
How about that for a bumper sticker?
As mentioned in some previous posts, and brought up by numerous comments from colleagues, what centrism lacks is...well...panache.
For one, it is not so much a movement as it is an awakening. Centrism doesn't so much attempt to convert people to it's point of view, or energize the passions of the already fervorous members (it's been pointed out to me that we also lack "fervor" in addition to "panache")... it simply tries to demonstrate to the majority of Americans who don't associate with the extremes that there is another option.
But perhaps we should become more fervorous and panachie.
The Internet is an outlet that could allow a Centrist movement to develop such "fervor."
As Bruce Bimber notes in "Campaigning Online,"
Indeed, the future may bring a more unified sense of community among groups that previously had no outlet, no real way of organizing, and this "new medium" continues to demonstrate how it can make that possible.
One way to do this is through a solid internet strategy similar to that of MoveOn. It is a chicken or egg type of question. Do centrists not have a MoveOn style of activism because they lack excitement? Or do we lack excitement because we do not have a MoveOn style of activism.
Another question that arises is such: given the lack of envangicalism within centrist ideology, is activism inherently counter-intuitive to our nature?
Oh the fun to be had with that loaded question.... on your marks, get set, GO!
How about that for a bumper sticker?
As mentioned in some previous posts, and brought up by numerous comments from colleagues, what centrism lacks is...well...panache.
For one, it is not so much a movement as it is an awakening. Centrism doesn't so much attempt to convert people to it's point of view, or energize the passions of the already fervorous members (it's been pointed out to me that we also lack "fervor" in addition to "panache")... it simply tries to demonstrate to the majority of Americans who don't associate with the extremes that there is another option.
But perhaps we should become more fervorous and panachie.
The Internet is an outlet that could allow a Centrist movement to develop such "fervor."
As Bruce Bimber notes in "Campaigning Online,"
The Internet affords a unique chance to observe carefully a new medium at its inception... it is time to form a clearer understanding of what its future may hold."
Indeed, the future may bring a more unified sense of community among groups that previously had no outlet, no real way of organizing, and this "new medium" continues to demonstrate how it can make that possible.
One way to do this is through a solid internet strategy similar to that of MoveOn. It is a chicken or egg type of question. Do centrists not have a MoveOn style of activism because they lack excitement? Or do we lack excitement because we do not have a MoveOn style of activism.
Another question that arises is such: given the lack of envangicalism within centrist ideology, is activism inherently counter-intuitive to our nature?
Oh the fun to be had with that loaded question.... on your marks, get set, GO!
2 Comments:
Glad to see another Centrist blog. Look forward to reading more. And trust me, Centrists have energy. We just need a little more momentum.
-Alan
www.yellowlineblog.com
By Alan Stewart Carl, at 9:56 PM
Centrists are poorly defined. Do their politics encompass merely the overlap of the ideological Venn Diagram, or is the centrist label simply applied because of an inability to come up with something better?
The "political spectrum" as it exists is already stodgy. The individual can be an endless set of ideological combinations from across the spectrum. As a social libertarian and an economic/foreign policy conservative, I am labeled a "moderate Republican". I can assure you there is nothing moderate about many of my views.
To be successful, people need to ditch the "centrist" label and focus instead on advancing issues. It is much easier to engage the people in a fight for fiscal responsibility than it is to sit down with them and explain what it means to be a centrist.
By ganesh, at 2:16 PM
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