A Warning to Would-be Moderates
The people who align with the Left or the Right generally show disdain for one another, but Lefties and Righties alike do not seem to have contempt for so-called moderates or centrists. This is because these moderates can swing left or right. So, both the left and the right must appeal to these people in order to win majorities.
What does it mean to be a centrist or to be a moderate in the current American political context? Intuitively, centrism means being close to the middle of the left-right dichotomy. Realistically, being a moderate or centrist means leaning left, but not being a full-blown Marxist or critical race theorist. Why?
This is because the Left has gone more to the left while the Right has remained generally consistent. The Radical Left, characterized by intersectionality, Marxist ideas, and/or a desire to completely overhaul the United States, has become increasingly less ‘radical.’ By that I mean that the radicals make up a significant portion of the Left in the United States.
However, the Right has stayed very similar. The Radical Right (or Alt-Right) is characterized by racism and white nationalism. The Alt-Right is condemned by mainstream conservativism. On the other hand, the “moderates” or non-radical Lefties seem to constantly cave to the radicals. Although some non-radicals may vaguely condemn things like socialism, they would much rather side with the radicals than compromise with Righties.
Because of this, the center has become more oriented towards the Left. As radical leftism becomes more and more normalized, centrism is no longer a balance between Left and Right. Rather, it is a ‘moderate’ form of leftism.
Those who strive to be centrist (for better or worse), do not be deceived. If you are a philosophical American (meaning you support free trade, the right to life, and the other basic rights laid out in the Bill of Rights), do not be drawn into the left in the name of centrism. A true centrist has much more in common with big-government conservatives than he does with the Left. The Left increasingly accepts the radicals, meaning that the moderates will be shunned or forced to cave to the radical agenda. A true centrist and an orthodox conservative may have great disagreements, but we all strive to make America better - not to overhaul it completely.
Unfortunately, our divided culture means that those who generally support America must compromise and unite together to combat those who hate the American Dream. True centrists, the whole range of conservatives, libertarians, and many more must band together in the name of America. We must stop the onslaught of the Radical Left. Then, maybe, there will be time to quarrel amongst ourselves.
Mitchell D. Cochran is a family life educator, a financial coach, and a board certified biblical counselor. He is the cofounder of Hope Initiative Consulting, LLC. and is currently attending Calvary University for his M.A. in biblical counseling. Mitchell is active in local politics in Lubbock, TX, where he lives with his wife, Katherine.
