Do moderates lack "convictions?" (Or, everyone doesn't fit in a box...)

I opened Reaonable Conversation The Reasonable Conversation blog early last May. I did so, in part, because I felt disenfranchised. There's very few talk shows or cable channels (other than CNN, I suppose) that don't adhere to a fairly hard-line ideology. Fox News and the Wall Street Journal favor the Right. MSNBC and Public Broadcasting/NPR favor the Left. Network newscasts lean left, but not as far as MSNBC does, in my opinion.

My politics are slightly left of center. I do not fit into a box labeled Conservative or Liberal. Looking at a bell curve, we see how the political spectrum, to me, is generally distributed:



What's not on the graph is where our Country currently stands. While this is open to much debate, I'd place the "mainstream" of America, just to the right of the mid-line. I say, currently, we lean to the right. There are many reasons for this, but that's fodder for a different post, not this one.

Now look at the graph once more. Where is the bulk of the population? On the far right? On the far left? No, its not. It's found within the middle of the curve. The range from the "moderate left" to the "moderate right" makes up for the majority of Americans. The average American isn't Glen Beck any more than they're Keith Olbermann. They're not Chuck Grassley anymore than they're Bernie Sanders.
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Recently I've been accused of having no convictions by a few friends who are self described hard line Conservatives. The fault they have found with me is best described this way. "Moderate" or "Middle" means you don't really believe in one way or the other when it comes to the issues of the day. Its been inferred by a few that anyone who is "in the middle" lacks a certain courage of their convictions. You hear it in the media all the time. Pundits or talk shows hosts bashing persons on the opposite side of their ideology as evil, dangerous, corrupt. Moderates have little appeal. Current GOP Presidential candidate Ron Paul said, "We've had way too much bipartisanship for about 60 years." Compromise is now, apparently, a dirty word, (...which will cost you your seat, Mr. Congressman if we catch you even thinking about it.)

Newsflash to anyone who subscribes purely to a political ideology, (right or left, it doesn't matter to me), I say you are the cop outs. You are the ones stalling real progress on our nation's problems. What you call a politically pure point of view is misguided and immature. To worship your favorite talking head or political figure is akin to worshiping a sports team or favorite athlete like we did when we were kids. "Its all good/its all bad" is not a refined, polished, rational perspective to hold. Its also a horrifically bad direction to try and pull/push the country.

The history of the United States shows us a gentle dance back and forth between the two main parties. Since the parties of today, the Democrats and Republicans, came into shape in the 1820's, we've seen 17 Democrats elected and 18 Republicans elected. While its never been so hip to demonize the other party, its still a crappy idea. Nothing gets done. The two parties get entrenched and the Public Good suffers. It may make for great television or good talk shows, but it doesn't do much to solve problems.
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To my critics, who claim that not labeling myself this thing or that thing politically, leaves me everywhere but nowhere, let me spell it out for you. A few of my beliefs...


I am a blend of libertarian, liberal and conservative ideologies.


I think the government has no business legislating the personal ...

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