07 October 2018

We Need a New Political Label

We Need a New Political Label

Conservative.

Moderate.

Liberal.

We have these labels to be able to determine someone’s political bent.

Of the three, I think the most misunderstood of these labels is moderate. The common view of the moderate is someone that finds the center on most issues. That we should enact change slowly and carefully, making small changes over time rather than ones that are revolutionary. At best, finding the best of both opposn sides and forming a compromise.

And that certainly can be part of being a moderate. But I want a fourth option. A label for people who think like a liberal on some issues, like a conservative on other issues, and a moderate when it makes sense. We can be just as passionate about these issues, while finding no contradiction in being far right on one issue and far left on the other.

For instance, I am a moderate on gun control. I don’t advocate banning guns but still want to see common sense solutions to gun violence issues. Unstable or violent people don’t get guns. That doesn’t seem unreasonable to me.

But I am a conservative on budget issues. While I don’t claim to fully understand the implications of spending versus growth in an economy, I believe our long-term solvency depends on keeping debt manageable, and with a plan for reducing debt, and subsequent interest payments.

And I am a liberal about environmental concerns. Or gay, women’s and civil rights issues.

I think many of us, even those who proclaim to be a liberal or conservative, are actually this type of moderate. But we don’t have a name for ourselves. So I tried to think one up.

My first thought was swing-winger, but t seemed somewhat suggestive so let that one pass.

Then I thought of Neapolitan, thinking of the ice cream with the three flavors. But unless you say ice cream, you could be talking about someone from Naples. So that’s out.

I finally came up with the term Deliberative. Yeah, it’s not perfect. A little snooty. So I’m still working on the perfect descriptor, but it’ll have to do for now.

We try to take each issue on it’s own merits, with all the selective perceptions and emotional blind spots that everyone has. We’re not special, or necessarily right, but we do look at things differently. Hopefully, we are deliberative.