The American center? [Archive] - Simple Living Forums

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puglogic

10-15-13, 2:34pm

I've been reading this material with some interest:

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/new-american-center-1113

I'm a "minivan moderate." What are you? (survey at bottom)

bae

10-15-13, 2:46pm

"MBA Middle" it claims. Some of the questions were pretty loaded, and could be easily answered at either extreme, depending on interpretation.

Alan

10-15-13, 2:56pm

mtnlaurel

10-15-13, 3:16pm

Minivan Moderate - "advocates for personal responsibility & everyone doing their fair share"

Gardenarian

10-15-13, 3:25pm

"Bleeding Heart Liberal." Maybe, but I don't have a knee-jerk response on most issues.

ApatheticNoMore

10-15-13, 3:34pm

It's official you're one of the bleeding hearts. You are not part of the New American Center (well ok, call me anything you like, it all sounds better than being called a centrist :)).

Jilly

10-15-13, 3:38pm

Many of the questions did not have a proper answer, and choosing one by default is just never accurate or personally satisfying.

I was positive that I was dead-center in the middle. Turns out that I am bleeding heart and only in the 10% of the electorate, those that believe in the full progressive agenda.

I am not. I am certainly not conservative in any respect, but I do not think of myself as liberal. Yikes.

My life is more varied and much more subtle than is reflected in the way the questions were presented.

I am the middle, dammnit.

Weston

10-15-13, 4:29pm

MBA middle.

bae

10-15-13, 4:29pm

My life is more varied and much more subtle than is reflected in the way the questions were presented.

Exactly so. Very poor survey design. Or very clever.

Jilly

10-15-13, 6:13pm

Exactly so. Very poor survey design. Or very clever.

Could be.

pcooley

10-15-13, 6:24pm

I set up OpenDNS as a filter to keep my children off objectionable websites on their iPods and computers. It won't let me on the Esquire sight because of "lingerie."

To my credit, this is the first time in six months that any of my browsing has been stopped.

I think I'm probably unclassifiable. I believe in taking care of people, but I don't believe in running a nation on debt. I think there should be a public option on the health care, and I think free housing should be provided to those who want it. A long time ago there was a series of photos on this listserv of Chinese in their 10 by 10 apartments. Why can't we, as a society, provide 100 square foot housing spaces, not just for destitute alcoholics and people with mental health problems, but for artists, writers, students, intellectuals? But surely we can pay for such things as we go along! I don't live my life on borrowed money!

So I guess I'm both extreme left and extreme right. I'm a member of the Green Party, though I'm not active in it, and they seem to have quieted down a little bit in New Mexico.

Edited to add: I found the photo series. It's titled "100 by 100": http://photomichaelwolf.com/#100x100-2/1

iris lilies

10-15-13, 10:17pm

I took the survey (including the extended questions) and Esquire labeled me a "Talk Radio Head", which is odd as I seldom listen to the radio.

I agree with bae, many of the questions were terribly loaded.

Me too, Talk Radio Head here. And the talk radio that's on in our house 'most all the time is NPR.

My very liberal views on abortion as well as no religious affiliation or interest in such did not skew me to the middle.

iris lilies

10-15-13, 10:31pm

creaker

10-16-13, 6:53am

Respectifully, you are not the Middle.

I think the middle is much further to the right than it was 30 years ago.

lac

10-16-13, 8:31am

MBA Middle for me

iris lilies

10-16-13, 9:12am

I think the middle is much further to the right than it was 30 years ago.

It doesn't seem that way to me, but that's just a gut feeling. The acceptance of the government as providing everything in our lives seems commonplace, and to me, that is not "right."

Gregg

10-16-13, 10:56am

Agree that its loaded. Anyway, I'm a Pickup Populist. I even drive a pick-up! What are the chances?

Loaded or not, its not an unreasonable description of where I stand. I do think it provides a little insight when it says I worry "primarily about how the economic system is becoming increasingly unfair". I do think it is out of balance, but intentionally avoid the use of "fair" and "unfair" when engaging in economic discourse. The survey authors are, if nothing else, a lot more subjective than me.

puglogic

10-16-13, 10:57am

That's what made this interesting for me. The middle does seem more right-leaning to me, at least in terms of their opinions (even if policy isn't matching it right now) There are a lot of people like me who do NOT want government to pay for everything, and who don't believe in handouts without strings attached, for example. I'm also comforted to know that there are people who share my non-extreme views on things like guns and abortion. Flawed survey or not, it is always good to know that there is still a vast landscape of opinion here, not just the fringes bellowing on Fox or MSNBC. It's our love of picking sides and defending them to the death that's killing us....truth is, most people would be happy to compromise and get back to their busy lives.

ApatheticNoMore

10-16-13, 12:42pm

The middle does seem more right-leaning to me, at least in terms of their opinions (even if policy isn't matching it right now)

If that's middle even I don't recognize the country anymore, and I grew up in the Reagan era. So I'm one of the 10% who wants full communism now. Any comrades care to join me?

There are a lot of people like me who do NOT want government to pay for everything

I don't want it to pay for everything, what a ridiculous idea that would be, in fact I'm not sure I even know anyone who does.

and who don't believe in handouts without strings attached, for example.

I have no problem with having and defending a safety net without worrying about someone somewhere abusing it, I'm not convinced abuse is that much of a problem anyway (think it's way overstated), though I have no need to deny it's existence 100%. I think a lot of the strings deny the human dignity of poor people (less strings just to look for work or something, but those that want to dictate exactly how they spend every penny for instance).

I'm also comforted to know that there are people who share my non-extreme views on things like guns and abortion.

I don't' care about gun control, don't mind having some restrictions (the state I live in certainly does!), but don't mind people owning guns as such, and support the right to abortion not because I believe abortion isn't killing but just because I see no good outcome that comes out of forcing women to bear children.

JaneV2.0

10-16-13, 3:29pm

It's no surprise I'm a bleeding heart liberal (I was hoping for limousine liberal ;)). I would be just one of the crowd in Europe.

Gregg

10-18-13, 8:40am

As Iris pointed out, hot button liberal issues such as being pro-abortion don't swing someone taking the survey even to the middle (let alone the left) if other answers were more conservative. The authors obviously designed it that way. Results that speak of economic 'fairness' pretty much solidify where they're coming from. Being a Pick-Up Populist is ok with me. Sounds pretty red neck, but if the long bed, club cab fits... I'd be ok with a limousine libertarian branding, too. Pick-Up Libertarian is probably closest of all, but has no ring to it. Gotta market these things.

creaker

10-18-13, 9:51am

It doesn't seem that way to me, but that's just a gut feeling. The acceptance of the government as providing everything in our lives seems commonplace, and to me, that is not "right."

One thing I think is interesting, living in the Romneycare state: Obamacare is a touch point for being labeled "liberal", but it's a model that was pushed by the right and opposed by the left not too many years ago in response to the Clinton healthcare plan. That didn't even just shift - it completely flipped sides.