Center-Right

Oh so many things in our political discourse is insanity. The most recent idiotic statement that seems to be repeated in the wake of Obama's victory is that America is still a "center-right" nation. Of course this is being espoused by Republicans as a way to attempt to put limits on what Obama can do as well as try to lessen the demoralization that feel given the results.

But intellectually, this makes no sense. For one, center-right of what? There must be a reference point. There is no absolute center from which to judge who's left and who's right. For example, compared to China, even the most liberal Democrat is incredibly conservative. My point is that the very term itself is relative and not an absolute and the statement is made with respect to a vague and ambiguous marker that is likely different in everyone's head and likely moves over time. I know. This statement is made based on polls of people self-identified party affiliation. But to use these numbers to make such a statement is to confuse core beliefs with party affiliation. Certainly the two are related, but are not the same.

Another reason why it makes no sense is that neither the Democrats nor the Republicans do a very good job at staying ideologically consistent. For example, the Republicans are expanding government and at least partially nationalizing our banking system while the Democrats are proclaiming the need to expand our military in ways that would put any neo-con to shame. So even if more people self-identified as Republicans, which BTW is no longer true, this doesn't mean that those people into all of the specific policies that the person making the argument is trying to make.

This is yet another 1984-type statement that politicians are so good at which allow them to sell their snake oil while distracting us from the real topics. The Republicans are using it because today they are loosing the argument of the issues. But just wait a few years and I'm sure the tables will turn once again. Hopefully somehow, someway, we'll come together and actually do something for the country anyway.