Full Version: Why is Moderate a bad word
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselect...ton-cover_x.htm
I could probably find the same type of quote for the Republicans. There are many who are angry at bush for his spending habits (although they are kinda loose) and not being "Conservative" enough.
In my experience most people are moderate and want realistic solutions to problems. Personally I think this is why you get such low voter turnout. People are disgusted with the state of politics in this country. 1/4 liberal 1/4 conservative 1/2 moderate(I think its the 1/2 that doesn't vote)
So
QUOTE
Dean has suggested that his supporters will be in no mood to turn out in November if Democrats nominate someone with a less fiery approach. His rivals suggest that independent and moderate voters will be scared off if the nominee isn't more temperate.
In a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll conducted Friday through Sunday, Democrats were split evenly, 48% to 48%, over whether they wanted a nominee who agreed with them on issues or one with the best chance to beat Bush. And 56% wanted a moderate, 26% a liberal, 14% a conservative.
The current debate could make it harder for the party to unite once a nominee is chosen — or even to agree on what it means, precisely, to be a Democrat.
In a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll conducted Friday through Sunday, Democrats were split evenly, 48% to 48%, over whether they wanted a nominee who agreed with them on issues or one with the best chance to beat Bush. And 56% wanted a moderate, 26% a liberal, 14% a conservative.
The current debate could make it harder for the party to unite once a nominee is chosen — or even to agree on what it means, precisely, to be a Democrat.
I could probably find the same type of quote for the Republicans. There are many who are angry at bush for his spending habits (although they are kinda loose) and not being "Conservative" enough.
In my experience most people are moderate and want realistic solutions to problems. Personally I think this is why you get such low voter turnout. People are disgusted with the state of politics in this country. 1/4 liberal 1/4 conservative 1/2 moderate(I think its the 1/2 that doesn't vote)
So
QUOTE
Why is it considered bad to be a moderate?
What is wrong with compromise?
Is the lack of moderation from candidates responsible for low voter turnout?
What is wrong with compromise?
Is the lack of moderation from candidates responsible for low voter turnout?
The numbers are more like 3/8 liberal, 3/8 conservative, and about 25% in the middle. The difference is significant.
In the primaries, you are trying to win the right to represent the party. So you play to the base. Now if you were to capture 100% of that 3/8 I mentioned above, you win the primaries, because the centrists' vote won't be enough to beat you.
But -- and here's where it gets tricky -- you have to capture that 3/8 AND also appeal to the centrists once you get to the general election. That's the challenge. Right now, ALL the D's are going after that 3/8 of liberals. Once they win those folks over, they will go for the other 1/8 + 1 votes.
In 2000, Bush ran far far right in South Carolina (even going so far as to speak at that bastion of segregration, Bob Jones University) and it helped sink McCain. Then he trended back toward the middle and claimed he was a "compassionate conservative" and that there was really no real difference between his policies and Gore's. It worked! He got the votes he needed from the centrists to pull off the victory.
Bush hasn't needed to drag himself back to the right for the '04 primaries, so he spares himself that grief. And he'll have the luxury of mocking the D's for going so far left during their primary season. But, the story for 2004 is still to be written.
Edited to add:
Oh, yeah, you asked some questions, didn't you?
Being a moderate is how you convince the middle to vote for you, but that's only 1/4 of the bunch, so you need another 1/4 from somewhere to win.
Nothing's wrong with compromise, except it doesn't make good TV. And to get your base energized, you have to look like you're NOT willing to compromise on the issues that are important to your base. Like abortion rights and affirmative action for the D's.
Low voter turnout happens when there's not a compelling reason to go vote. That happens if you're just disgusted with the two candidates (negative ads help there), or if you think there's no real difference between the two candidates, or if it's raining. Seriously. Sometimes it's something just as simple as bad weather that suppresses voter turnout.
In the primaries, you are trying to win the right to represent the party. So you play to the base. Now if you were to capture 100% of that 3/8 I mentioned above, you win the primaries, because the centrists' vote won't be enough to beat you.
But -- and here's where it gets tricky -- you have to capture that 3/8 AND also appeal to the centrists once you get to the general election. That's the challenge. Right now, ALL the D's are going after that 3/8 of liberals. Once they win those folks over, they will go for the other 1/8 + 1 votes.
In 2000, Bush ran far far right in South Carolina (even going so far as to speak at that bastion of segregration, Bob Jones University) and it helped sink McCain. Then he trended back toward the middle and claimed he was a "compassionate conservative" and that there was really no real difference between his policies and Gore's. It worked! He got the votes he needed from the centrists to pull off the victory.
Bush hasn't needed to drag himself back to the right for the '04 primaries, so he spares himself that grief. And he'll have the luxury of mocking the D's for going so far left during their primary season. But, the story for 2004 is still to be written.
Edited to add:
Oh, yeah, you asked some questions, didn't you?
Being a moderate is how you convince the middle to vote for you, but that's only 1/4 of the bunch, so you need another 1/4 from somewhere to win.
Nothing's wrong with compromise, except it doesn't make good TV. And to get your base energized, you have to look like you're NOT willing to compromise on the issues that are important to your base. Like abortion rights and affirmative action for the D's.
Low voter turnout happens when there's not a compelling reason to go vote. That happens if you're just disgusted with the two candidates (negative ads help there), or if you think there's no real difference between the two candidates, or if it's raining. Seriously. Sometimes it's something just as simple as bad weather that suppresses voter turnout.
I basically agree with everything amf said. However, I think why there's such low voter turnout is because:
1, many people don't know who to vote for. Candidates don't state where they stand on issues. So far all I see from candidates are "Vote for (name of candidate)" signs. If candidates' signs said something like "Vote for (name of candidate) he supports ...", that candidate would gain votes of people who support that particular issue.
2, people aren't registered to vote and some people don't know where to get registered to vote.
3, people don't know when elections are.
4, people are dissatisfied with all candidates and decide not to vote for any of them.
1, many people don't know who to vote for. Candidates don't state where they stand on issues. So far all I see from candidates are "Vote for (name of candidate)" signs. If candidates' signs said something like "Vote for (name of candidate) he supports ...", that candidate would gain votes of people who support that particular issue.
2, people aren't registered to vote and some people don't know where to get registered to vote.
3, people don't know when elections are.
4, people are dissatisfied with all candidates and decide not to vote for any of them.
Need to work this out some more.
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