Short definition of Radical Centrism There are two scenes in the Robert Redford movie, The Candidate, that capture the essence of Radical Centrism. In the film, Redford plays the part of a reform-minded Democrat who opposes an establishment Republican who deals in bromides and yesterday's ideas. Redford's character is modeled after Jerry Brown as he once seemed to be, years ago, a crusader for justice, open minded, modern yet respectful of cherished traditions with which he identified -in contrast to Jerry Brown as he has become, a Left-wing ideologue who betrays his heritage every chance he gets, who despises truths of religious faith, and who is a closed-minded party hack. Here is the gist of things from the movie: Redford needs to talk with the head of a major labor union whose support he needs in order to win the election. The dialogue goes like this: Redford: I can't stand anything you believe in. Union leader: I despise everything you stand for. Needless to say, this was NOT how the party bosses wanted the discussion to go. But it was how Redford wanted it to go. We are not told what the two men said to each other in the following minutes but whatever it was, the impression the movie gives us is that it was an open and honest thrashing out of differences. We also understand that the two men started with an unspoken and fundamental agreement: We need to win this election. So, while we don't know the exact words, we can justifiably surmise the substance of the conversation. Redford and the union honcho went at it, finally reaching agreement -honestly- about what they could do together to work for a common cause each man actually believed in. All we get is the start of what was, at that point, an acrimonious discussion. Next scene: The union leader is addressing the Democratic state convention and glowingly endorsing Robert Redford for its Senate candidate. This pretty well sums it up. Honesty, first, last, and always; truthfulness is indispensable. Fight it out, then become friends later. You need common purpose to begin with, shared values where it counts the most, but beyond that the only rules are those of the Marquis of Queensbury. Radical Centrism is also like a boxing match: May the best ideas win. But make no mistake, to find out which ideas are best almost always takes a good fight. If you don't like good fights, RC is not for you. Want a good fight about basic principles? Then Radical Centrism is exactly right for you. Want to be part of a well known political movement that everyone is familiar with? Then RC is not for you, forget it, move on to something else. But if you want to be in on the ground floor, creating a new political movement that, by God, really matters, and holds a helluva lot of promise for the future, even if it means endless fights for what you think is right, then Radical Centrism is exactly right for you. Billy R.
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