Where is the middle?

[teamnelson]

It is my observation that the middle is disappearing in the US.

- Economically, people are moving closer towards poverty or wealth, but not stability.
- Socially/morally, people are moving closer into liberality or conservatism; taboos are either rejected or embraced, but not affirmed.
- Religiously/spiritually, people are moving further into relativism or fundamentalism; what used to be defined by denomination is no longer valid, as once conservative faith groups have moved en masse leftward with the most conservative of their group winding up sitting on the middle. People are leaving denominations in droves to form new groups that are becoming more distinct in their position.
- Politically, the party system no longer defines ends of a spectrum, with hawkers from the extreme trying to convince the voting middle. Individuals are moving further left or right regardless of party lines. Apart from the Tea Party influence, the Republican Party looks more and more like conservative Democrats of old - certainly not the GOP I grew up with. And I understand folks on the left are saying the same thing about the DP.

The state established religion of tolerance has not produced a strong healthy centrist population, but instead has made us very very sensitive of "difference" - albeit with stated intent to make us careful not to offend. The result is we spend a lot of time exploring difference, talking about difference, and its clear that its affected the way people think and the national dialogue.

Where is the middle? Is it important? What role does it serve? And what does the future hold without it?

[mcwoodduck]

I think the middle depends on who you ask.
The average Citizen - Somewhere between the Conservitives and the Liberals.
The News media - Some where between the Left wing vegans and the Democrats.

[us920669]

I think the established parties are going out of their way to stress their differences, so people don't  quit and go join the Libertarians or Constitutionalists or whatever.  In reality, they differ very little.  Bush passed the prescription drug entitlement and Obama seems to have started another war.

[Junior1942]

>Where is the middle?

Sitting around with their eyes and ears open and their mouths shut.

[magooch]

>Where is the middle?

Sitting around with their eyes and ears open and their mouths shut.

That would preclude any Dumycrats, so I'm sort of good with that.

[XD40SC]

If you read the posts around here- there is no middle. You are either a right wing republican or the enemy.

[mcwoodduck]

If you read the posts around here- there is no middle. You are either a right wing republican or the enemy.

I think logic dictates that.
This board is mostly visited and has members that are for the most part.
Religous
enjoy shooting and hunting and other personal freedoms
understand economics
Know that you need to take care of your self as an adult and that the Government is not a super parent that is goingto give you everything you need or want.
The left wing thinks the opposite and can be seen at the enemy the same way they see me as their enemy.

[SHOOTALL]

The middle shifts . It depends on what problem is at hand at the time. I think you find the bulk of voters around the middle . Look at the way politicans jockey to have there favorite disaster  take place when election time rolls around. You know the one they can use to their advantage. Or in some cases the one they can use to make the other side look bad. One thing is sure if you don't carry votes from the middle you won't win. The hard part is seeing any difference in either party when they both cater to the same voters . Its a fine line but it needs to be a wide one.
 It would be interesting if all voters turnned out for one election , then and only then could the real middle be defined/mapped .

[nw_hunter]

It is my observation that the middle is disappearing in the US.

- Economically, people are moving closer towards poverty or wealth, but not stability.
- Socially/morally, people are moving closer into liberality or conservatism; taboos are either rejected or embraced, but not affirmed.
- Religiously/spiritually, people are moving further into relativism or fundamentalism; what used to be defined by denomination is no longer valid, as once conservative faith groups have moved en masse leftward with the most conservative of their group winding up sitting on the middle. People are leaving denominations in droves to form new groups that are becoming more distinct in their position.
- Politically, the party system no longer defines ends of a spectrum, with hawkers from the extreme trying to convince the voting middle. Individuals are moving further left or right regardless of party lines. Apart from the Tea Party influence, the Republican Party looks more and more like conservative Democrats of old - certainly not the GOP I grew up with. And I understand folks on the left are saying the same thing about the DP.

The state established religion of tolerance has not produced a strong healthy centrist population, but instead has made us very very sensitive of "difference" - albeit with stated intent to make us careful not to offend. The result is we spend a lot of time exploring difference, talking about difference, and its clear that its affected the way people think and the national dialogue.

Where is the middle? Is it important? What role does it serve? And what does the future hold without it?

The Middle class, and Christianity  is the enemy of Communism, and the middle class must go, and it is! The Republican party today, especially at the national level is no longer a friend of the middle class, and unless the Tea Party types  regain control of it, we will truly see only one party with two heads, and we are dangerously close. In 2008 we saw a friend  of the Constitution(A true tea party candidate) running for the Presidency on the Republican ticket and was ridiculed by the media, and fellow Republican candidates running. Instead of a true friend of the middle class we get instead a Liberal, left leaning, gun grabbing New World Order Fool named John McCain to run against a professing Socialist, that cannot even prove he's American by birth, belongs to a church that hates America, and we take another step down the Communist path.

"My object in life is to dethrone God and destroy capitalism." —Karl Marx

God cannot be dethroned, but his philosophy is sure doing a number on capitalism!

[nw_hunter]

If you read the posts around here- there is no middle. You are either a right wing republican or the enemy.

You need to finish the analogy to make it complete.........Your either a Left Wing Democrat or the enemy. I think that about sums it up.

[Pat/Rick]

The middle is quietly continueing on, ignoring extremism. Those who were in the middle but left, probably did so because of the extreme left vocal ones, shouting for the promotion of  their version of lifestyle. The others rose to shout against that, because they felt threatened.

 Seems that i remember most folks content to live their lives and raise their families, without much interference. The leftist of the 60's changed the rules, creating a rise (need?) for counter socio extremism on the right. Just how I see it anyway. YMMV.

[billy_56081]

It's pretty simple to me. There are the decent conservative folks and then there is the rest of the people who are indecent. Compromise with filth and evil like them is just plain evil and wrong. They have no redeeming characteristics what so ever.

[bkraft]

Where is the middle? The middle is that every day man or woman that is out there grindin it out making a living. They worry about groceries, college for their kids, health insurance(which they pay for) WILL they be able to retire not WHEN. They for to jobs, the store, PTA and most importantly they got jobs, and more than likely they have had jobs since they were 16. At the end of the day the middle is too busy raising their kids or too tired to have any deep seeded Geo economic discussions. Their idea of an economic strategy is "honey are we gonna make the mortgage this month?" They sleep at peace each and every night because their kid or their neighbors kid is standing guard in some god awful sand pit with an M16 and a pair of night vision goggles keeping the thieves and predators at bay. Only to find out that the real thieves and predators are here at home and in congress. The middle tries to make it to church, mass or meeting every week and lives in a country that has religious freedom for every body but Christians. The middle has a sore back from carrying every multi generational dead beat that has been on the government dole since at least 1965. But it is the middle that will give everything from the shirt off their back, their last dollar, or their first born to those that are truly in need. The Middle, they aren't home, they're at WORK!

[mcwoodduck]

It is my observation that the middle is disappearing in the US.

- Economically, people are moving closer towards poverty or wealth, but not stability.
- Socially/morally, people are moving closer into liberality or conservatism; taboos are either rejected or embraced, but not affirmed.
- Religiously/spiritually, people are moving further into relativism or fundamentalism; what used to be defined by denomination is no longer valid, as once conservative faith groups have moved en masse leftward with the most conservative of their group winding up sitting on the middle. People are leaving denominations in droves to form new groups that are becoming more distinct in their position.
- Politically, the party system no longer defines ends of a spectrum, with hawkers from the extreme trying to convince the voting middle. Individuals are moving further left or right regardless of party lines. Apart from the Tea Party influence, the Republican Party looks more and more like conservative Democrats of old - certainly not the GOP I grew up with. And I understand folks on the left are saying the same thing about the DP.

The state established religion of tolerance has not produced a strong healthy centrist population, but instead has made us very very sensitive of "difference" - albeit with stated intent to make us careful not to offend. The result is we spend a lot of time exploring difference, talking about difference, and its clear that its affected the way people think and the national dialogue.

Where is the middle? Is it important? What role does it serve? And what does the future hold without it?

The Middle class, and Christianity  is the enemy of Communism, and the middle class must go, and it is! The Republican party today, especially at the national level is no longer a friend of the middle class, and unless the Tea Party types  regain control of it, we will truly see only one party with two heads, and we are dangerously close. In 2008 we saw a friend  of the Constitution(A true tea party candidate) running for the Presidency on the Republican ticket and was ridiculed by the media, and fellow Republican candidates running. Instead of a true friend of the middle class we get instead a Liberal, left leaning, gun grabbing New World Order Fool named John McCain to run against a professing Socialist, that cannot even prove he's American by birth, belongs to a church that hates America, and we take another step down the Communist path.

"My object in life is to dethrone God and destroy capitalism." —Karl Marx

God cannot be dethroned, but his philosophy is sure doing a number on capitalism!

The Democrats are the enemy to the Middle class.
The middle class are you standard shop owners, Union labor, and sales people
The Democrtats are against everything that needs Union labor.  Manufacturing, Building, refining, drilling, Mining and Trucking.
The Rules and regulations that make the government more powerful and add costs to end products are what has been choking our economy.  We are rapidly headed to a two class system.  Those that pay taxes and those that take taxes.
The Democratws are great at playing the class war of the Rich need to pay more and more.  At the same time the ones calling for more taxes and more taxes are the ones trying to lessen thier tax burden.  Can anyone Say Obama and his 12K tax return?  Anyone say John Kerry and trying to hide 1.5 Million in taxes from the State and feds?

[The Hermit]

TN, sad but true. This is the "stuff" that spawns epic upheavals. History repeats itself.

The Hermit

[mirage1988]

Where is the middle? The middle is that every day man or woman that is out there grindin it out making a living. They worry about groceries, college for their kids, health insurance(which they pay for) WILL they be able to retire not WHEN. They for to jobs, the store, PTA and most importantly they got jobs, and more than likely they have had jobs since they were 16. At the end of the day the middle is too busy raising their kids or too tired to have any deep seeded Geo economic discussions. Their idea of an economic strategy is "honey are we gonna make the mortgage this month?" They sleep at peace each and every night because their kid or their neighbors kid is standing guard in some god awful sand pit with an M16 and a pair of night vision goggles keeping the thieves and predators at bay. Only to find out that the real thieves and predators are here at home and in congress. The middle tries to make it to church, mass or meeting every week and lives in a country that has religious freedom for every body but Christians. The middle has a sore back from carrying every multi generational dead beat that has been on the government dole since at least 1965. But it is the middle that will give everything from the shirt off their back, their last dollar, or their first born to those that are truly in need. The Middle, they aren't home, they're at WORK!

Well said bk!
TM must not be feeling so good he(?)  has been pretty quiet lately.

[us920669]

He must be exhausted from working on "The Newest Religion" over in the Truth, Lies" column - a real magnum opus.