There's also the term "Vital Center," which was a favorite of Schlesinger. If anything, I'd peg that as an alternative RC term.
On Tuesday, September 15, 2015 at 5:09:55 AM UTC-4, [email protected] wrote: > > > > Is the word "radical" political poison? > > To be certain the term is unpopular among moderates and > most establishment types*;* such people live for some version of > the status quo. They have no use for bold new ideas, no use for > political drama of any kind, and no use for people who have > strong moral principles. But this is precisely why the word radical > is so appealing to many other people. > > This is not some sort of empty assertion. Just a few days ago I circulated > a lengthy list of people and institutions that are out front in their use > of the word -in which they obviously take pride. Let us think about > a few of these examples. > > Take Virginia's senator, John Warner. He was first elected seven years ago > advertising himself as a Radical Centrist. Which he more-or-less is. > He won re-election in 2014 running as a Radical Centrist, True, his > margin of victory was as narrow as it was possible to get, but the fact > was that he won -despite a very strong Republican challenger > and a GOP tidal wave that drowned all kinds of Democrats > from coast to coast. Now may it be pointed out that the office > of Senator is as high as it gets except for governors of large states > and the presidency. This is no trivial thing. > > Warner represents the East Coast branch of RC, associated with the > New American Foundation and The Atlantic magazine and website. > This branch dwarfs our small organization by an order of magnitude, > but this is to say that it has a lot of money and powerful institutional > support. > It does this even though its major spokesmen, thinking especially > of Michael Lind and Ted Halstead, self identify as Radical Centrists. > Indeed, a decade ago they co-authored a book called The Radical Center > which seems to have sold quite well. > > Where does New American get its money? There are maybe 100 significant > sources but among them are names like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. > They know that New America sometimes calls itself a Radical Centrist > organization but that does not stop them from donating millions. > > Then there is the NY Times, maybe you have heard of it. On its staff > is Thomas Friedman, and maybe you have heard of him, too. Well, TF > is on record in his columns as being a Radical Centrist. Personally > I don't think he is, or is at best is only a Radical Centrist now and then, > but the point is that he regards the phrase as something good, > he does not run away from it, he embraces it. > > The same has been true -also in both cases even if it was a > mischaracterization- for Governor Schwarzenegger and > Governor Ventura, one a Republican and the other > a political Independent. > > A host of non-profits call themselves Radical Centrist as do a > good number of private individuals including several journalists, > such as one in Arkansas and another in the state of Washington. > But who we should be most concerned about is the Quivira Coalition, > in bushiness for at least 15 or 20 years, mostly in New Mexico, Colorado, > Nevada, and other inland-West states I think the group has > about 50,000 members, mostly ranchers, small business owners, > environmentalists, and the like. To say the least this group is a model > of what can be done and an inspiration. They also are professed > Radical Centrists. > > What do detractors of the word "radical" intend for RC.org? That we > should ignore all of this and forget why all kinds of people freely choose > to use the term to describe themselves? This is preposterous -to use > the mildest possible rebuke to such an ill-advised critique. After all, > a good critique takes into account not only its own subjective dislikes > it acknowledges the strengths of those who take an opposite position. > and forthrightly deals with them. But our most avid critic has never > done any such thing. > > Finally there is the insulting character of that line of reasoning. > I can only speak for myself but suspect that Ernie has a similar attitude. > For a good number of years I have been outspoken in advocacy > of Radical Centrism*;* my signature appears under well over 100 essays > and articles written primarily for RC*.*com and another large number > for other people. You don't realize that I gave my choice of using > this terminology a good deal of thought to begin with and continue > using it for reasons that are persuasive to me and that I believe > will eventually be persuasive to many others? > > A moderate may feel strongly that he should be a moderate. OK, that is > not a problem for me. And he can use whatever terminology that he > prefers, including middle or centrist (without a qualifier) or any other > such vocabulary. But to rant to the effect that Radical Centrists > are "wrong" to choose this terminology, that the concept of RC > is somehow impossible to maintain, and so forth, well, > that crosses a line -into extremely poor judgement. > > Besides, try telling Senator Warner that his views are wrong > and that he cannot succeed in politics calling himself a > Radical Centrist. What do you suppose he would > say to that? > > But whatever Senator Warner says or does not say, I have my own > reasons for identifying as a Radical Centrist and take the greatest > possible pride in doing so. > > Billy > > > -- -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community" group. 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