The Muddled Middle

George Rebane

Surfing Bob Crabb’s blog, I tarried on his 6apr12 post ‘The haunting question’ which invites the reader to abandon their left/right extremes and seek the political middle ground.  Bob is a master cartoonist of the soci-political genre and an astute observer of the Human Foible.  His graphic talents are augmented by his able lexicographic fare.  Mr Crabb has long made his cache the careful threading of that illusive center of American politics.  In this IMHO he succeeds more often than most.  But when the really turbulent issues require him to lean this way more than that, it seems he does take greater comfort from a tack to port.

Upon reflection, what intrigued me about his 6apr12 post was the now obligatory standard for characterizing both ‘extremes’ that he used to summarize the political poles.  The American Left as “environmentalists, …, tree-hugging, frog loving communists” whose unifying goals are “gutting the Constitution and surrendering to UN authority”.  The American Right are predictably “property rights people and greedy opportunists” who desire to “pave every acre of (an) earth” that is to be ruled by multi-national corporations and the almighty dollar”.

The illuminating part of this oft-imbibed screed is that the Left freely admits to its goals in its many publications/speeches that call for a re-interpretation of the Constitution so that it is not seen (per Obama) as a “document of negative liberties”, of restrictions and inhibitions on the role and power of government.  And the Left’s public promotion of a global government that does away with sovereign nation-states and equitably redistributes wealth across the globe is now over a century old.

On the Right we find no one who wants to “pave every acre of earth” or to have a government by hegemony of global multi-nationals to rule over us.  (In capitalistic free markets competing corporations can only profit and prosper by growing the wealth of their customers and the economies in which they live.)  So the Left’s characterization of the Right continues to require ridiculous hyperbole that may catch an anecdotal extreme here and there.

And that is the nature of the debate that those seeking the center-line regurgitate to both sides.  But those who think, on either side, will reject such kumbayahs to the middle.  Even President Obama, who wants to make FDR look like a raving capitalist, this week cemented his stand on the futility of leaving his progressive pole.

Peggy Noonan in the 7apr12 WSJ reports on Obama’s polar outing last Tuesday to the nation’s mainstream media editors who are his constant supporters and long-acknowledged friends –

And yet the president rapped their knuckles for insufficient support. In the Q-and-A he offered criticism that "bears on your reporting": "I think that there is oftentimes the impulse to suggest that if the two parties are disagreeing, then they're equally at fault and the truth lies somewhere in the middle." An "equivalence is presented" that is unfortunate. It "reinforces . . . cynicism." But the current debate is not "one of those situations where there's an equivalence." Journalists are failing to "put the current debate in some historical context."  That "context," as he sees it, is that Democrats are doing the right thing, Republicans the wrong thing, Democrats are serious, Republicans are "not serious."

It is clear that when the brass knuckles come out in this election year, this man wants no compromise about where the both sides should meet to do battle.  This is not to be hand-to-hand, close quarters combat in the middle, but a long range artillery exchange fought from both extremes of the political landscape.  And guess what, I think that both sides are right on the mark on their stance.

Nothing will make it more clear to the dimly lit electorate than highlighting the differences as much as possible.  Everyone knows that the so-called center of the road is where the business-as-usual takes place which has gotten us to where we are, where all principle winds up as putrid roadkill.  And in taking these clear positions Bob Crabb’s haunting question, ‘What if both sides are right?’ is already answered – no mushy, muddling middle for voters in 2012.

Comments

[Paul Emery]

George
Do you consider Romney to be a capable swordsman for your position or is his inevitable selection already a capitulation to the middle?

[Michael Anderson]

Paul, a few more months and then we can give the Etch-A-Sketch a shake.

[Russ Steele]

What is the "O" Man complainig about the AP is in bag for him. Recent management actions and “news” coverage at the AP confirm that it is no longer pejorative to call the wire service the Administration’s Press, or even the Administration’s Propagandists.

Here are just four of the many AP outrages against journalism in the past two weeks include the following:

• An AP reporter wrote that supporters of the Keystone pipeline “say it will create over 1,000 jobs.” Well, I guess “over a dozen” would also have been technically true. Supporters’ estimates actually range from 2,500 to 500,000, depending on whether they are referring to direct jobs or are also including gains from spin-off employment.

• When Congress unanimously rejected Obama’s farcical budget proposal, AP waited until the fifth paragraph of its report to tell readers that the vote was 414-0 (specifics almost guaranteed not to get mentioned over the airwaves), and would only describe it as “overwhelmingly rejected” by a “GOP-run Congress” in order “to embarrass Democrats.”

• In the first four days after the New Black Panthers issued a bounty for the capture of George Zimmerman in the tragic death of Trayvon Martin, AP reports cryptically noted the existence of a bounty just once, with no mention of its source.

• A truly bizarre and Orwellian sequence of AP dispatches over the course of one business day on the consumer confidence report from the Conference Board went from “falls” to “dips slightly” to “roughly flat” to (brace yourself) a “rosy outlook.” The index fell from 71.6 in February to 70.2 in March.

H/T to Tom Blumer at JP Media for compiling the four outrages.

[George Rebane]

PaulE 313pm - great question; and I'm not sure. Most certainly if Obama clings to his current far left in the coming months, then "capitulation to the middle" will be the optimal policy for Romney. If Obama presents a credible (and here's crux of the matter) middle ground for his second term, then Romney is in trouble, no matter what he does. His best chances then may be to stay on the 'fire & brimstone right', along with stealing a page from every one of his Final Four opponents. Thoughts?

[Todd Juvinall]

Do not let the other side define you. That is what I have learned in my little political life. Extreme? Supporting the Constitution and property rights is extreme? That is the problem with a lousy butt kissing press of the left. I cannot tell you how I have fought over the years to not let the press define me. When I started CABPRO in 1993, the hostile editor at the time decided she would reject my self description and make me into what she wanted regarding the public persona of me. I was a supporter of the Constitution and she decided I was a "lobbyist" for goodness sakes.

We on the right are under attack as extremists for trying to force the politicians to run the country under the laws of the Constitution and we ask the judges to render decisions under it as well and because we did not fight for the language we became extremists! The Tea Party receives the same treatment and to me the press and the left must be stopped and the correct language used.

George is correct in the view the left likes their defined life as "progressives", those caring,m warm and tender folks who like little kids and animals. They are for everything "fair" so they feel good about themselves. Self esteem is very important and good intentions are paramount to their success even if the results fail. But, the left has the press and has defined the liberals as I have said.

With the internet and blogs and FOX and other conservatives means to get out the proper language, we have a fighting chance of turning this travesty of "think-speak" around.

[Russ Steele]

If you think the Press is not in the bag for this President, then how come we not hear about this clueless mistake by Obama that does not know his history?

When Obama stopped in at Master Lock in Milwaukee Wisconsin last week, he was walking the plant and stopped to talk with a plant employee and looked up at the banner hanging on the wall and said to the worker and people around him . "It is great to be in a union shop, especially one as old as this union is " - - - - pointing to the banner.  He then said "a Union shop since 1848" - -  - - - and then he went on to talk on what that banner stood for and how important it was to display it and show your union support.

The worker then said to Obama that this is the flag of the State of Wisconsin - - which was founded in 1848.

This was only reported by a local radio station in Milwaukee (11:30 am) and not by the
major news networks - - -  they did not want to embarrass this - "got no clue" President.Since they didn't do their job of reporting on this presidential visit, the only way for the
news to get around is by us - on the Internet.

Now back to the regular program.

PaulE 3:13 - you ask a very difficult question for me. I have serious doubts that Romney can win on his merit as a conservative. The only way he can win is if millions hold their nose and vote for "any one but Obama" I intend to support that movement with every fiber in my body.

[Russ Steele]

oops, should have read "how come we did not hear"

[Douglas Keachie]

Lighten Up, everybody, and say Cheese!

[Russ Steele]

The CRABB Man answers here: http://www.rlcrabb.com/uncategorized/a-response-to-george-rebane/

[George Rebane]

I just posted the following comment to 'A response to George Rebane' on Bob Crabb's blog. Not sure how this inter-blog discussion works, maybe we're all plowing new ground.

***
Bob, thanks for clearing up your meaning of ‘paving every acre of earth’; still not sure that you think it’s hyperbole which was my point on RR. The provenance of your argument is an alternate and dismal history of Nevada County that you posit would have happened if the Left had not been there guide us in proper community planning. This tack, of course, introduces a new thread to the original topic of the current role of the center and middle-of-road prescriptions for our country in this election year, which topic I responded to.

We note that President Obama has now stepped out and made it clear that his progressive agenda for the country is based on principles not to be compromised, especially in the face of the “not serious” Republican proposals. In any event, our leader rejects the notion that “parties are equally at fault and the truth lies somewhere in the middle.” We conservatives could not agree more (how’s that for common ground?).

Meanwhile, the dismal decline of Nevada County in the time that I’ve been here continues and has been discussed much on conservative blogs. I will have more to say about that, but for now I’ll just lay an ‘amen’ to Russ Steele’s comments above.

Sorry for the tardiness, we thumpers just got back from church.

[Paul Emery]

George

Romney is not the one to take on a "fire and brimstone" role. He's a pragmatic politician who goes with the wind in order to get elected. He's a liberal when he runs for Gov and a conservative when the calling comes for him to run for President. As far as I can tell he believes in nothing except his personal ambitions. Besides that he's a very bad actor who can't memorize his lines.

So, to the extent that you would vote for Romney as a "anyone but Obama" hedge illustrates the trap created by the two parties. They are basically the same and rely on that outcome to perpetuate their service to the ruling class by swapping gum and being just bad enough to make their election essential through fear that "anyone but Obama or anyone but Romney" is the only responsible vote.

Ironic that with all the roar of the Tea Party in the last few years Romney is the best the Republican party can come up with. The TP's will vote Romney for reasons stated above. Ron Paul, the only candidate with any integrity will be put out to pasture and remembered primarily as a loyal Republican.

We could change the whole scenario in one election cycle by voting third party but Americans are gutless chumps.

[Ryan Mount]

"As far as I can tell he believes in nothing except his personal ambitions."

--and--

"Ron Paul, the only candidate with any integrity will be put out to pasture and remembered primarily as a loyal Republican"

Yep on both accounts. Nailed it.

I think if Obama says nothing and just stands at the podium staring off into his teleprompter, he'll get re-elected. And come to think about it, that might be a viable strategy for him.

Not that I'm gonna support either of these stooges. Gotta love that etch-a-sketch comment a couple of weeks ago, followed our Law Professor in Chief's dorky misunderestimated [sic] understanding of how our Government operates.

But heck, let's go blow a billion dollars on political ads proclaiming that while I'm no good, the other guy is much worse.

[Earl Crabb]

Okay, fellas.I broke down and got a gmail address so I can get into typepad. (You really ought to go to wordpress, George. It's a very nice system and can be operated by an idiot like yers truly.)
You may note that the offending cartoon was concocted back in 2001, way before Citizens United or the "too big for their britches" bailout bonanza. Since that time, everything that has gone down only reaffirms my belief that the only reason corporations don't already rule the world is because they haven't figured out how to get away with it. And perhaps conservatives don't want to pave every inch of the world, just 90% of it.

[George Rebane]

EarlC 413pm - Earl??!! Is that your middle name Bob?

Re corporations; I recommend you read the NYT bestseller 'Quest' by pulitzer prize winning author Yergin. A lot of this type of chatter will then take its proper place in geo-politics.

[Earl Crabb]

No, Earl is how I pronounce "RL". Just another one of my dumb jokes. I will be making my case in tomorrow's post on my blog. (shameless plug)

[George Rebane]

EarlC 656pm - no shame involved, RR shamelessly and proudly links to your blog (see 'Our Links').