LOL! First off, the "center" brought us NAFTA. It was only the Luddite left and the isolationist right who opposed it. How did that "centrist" compromise work out for workers? How has the centrist environmental policy worked? When Obama went to Copenhagen he basically said that the US wouldn't sign a bill that made them do anything, brokered a secret deal with a handful of countries and said that all the countries present had to sign on to it and said that the US would do too little to mean much of anything (actually its inaction will doom some countries to lives literally under water. Only leftists care about or understand ecology, let's move to the "center" and do nothing, far more logical). The "centrist" policies (cause only the loony left was against the war before it started) in Iraq have killed thousands of US soldiers, over a million Iraqis, displaced more people in that country than any other (minus Sudan and possible Colombia), the economy was looted by Bremer and the "free market" orders he put in and said are not removable by any future government, and the "centrists" think we can "win" in Iraq still. The "centrists" voted for the Wall Street bailout, continue to increase our over a trillion dollar military budget and at the same time want to cut Social Security and Medicare (after they stole money from those programs to pay other expenditures of the government). We could go on and on, the "centrists" basically say, "even if there are fundamental problems with the country and our institutions you can't fundamentally change anything, only superficial change is allowed, and that will be at a snail's pace". Not logical in any way, but certainly in the center of elite opinion.

By the way, Obama did not run as a "centrist". Changing Washington, questioning NAFTA, talking about the public option, getting elected in Illinois while in favor of single payer, is not "centrist". I never believed him, because I'm not a mindless centrist, but others did. Do you honestly think he would have gotten elected if he ran as an open "centrist"? Elect me and I'll surround myself with the economic geniuses who got us into this mess, I won't change health care fundamentally, I won't do much of anything on financial reform, I'm going to gut the very idea of the government giving funding to poor communities' schools and will ration it continue to privatize the schools regardless of the results and effects it has on society, the Employee Free Choice Act will be ditched weeks into office, I'll continue to increase the military budget while cutting needed social programs and I'll decrease government spending even when private spending isn't taking it's place. This is "centrism" and it benefits too few people to get elected on openly, at least nationally.

The people in the country are not "centrist". What the media regards as centrist and what is centrist according to polls on the issues themselves (labels mean jack squat) are two different things. People want some form of universal health care and they want a non profit option. That is not in either party's platform, the media is openly against. So what is "centrist"? What the public wants or the middle of elite opinion? What is centrist in regards to Iraq? Social Security? The economy? The environment? There is a large and growing gap between elite and public opinion, only people with small brains don't notice this.

Laugh all you want, and rejoice in your country going down in flames, with a complete inability to solve any big problems. Why? Elites think they have to choose in between failed neo-liberal nonsense and the outright right wing. Within those bounds, well to the right of the public, is "acceptable opinion". The system we have is not sustainable on all fronts. Laugh all you want, "centrist" nonsense inaction will simply bring on violence in the future. If we can't have a government more responsive to the people, and the social organizations that once brought people together (like unions and mass social movements) are dormant, what will take its place is violence and eventually an outright authoritarian government dominated by the far too powerful military. Hitler couldn't have come to power if it weren't for the "centrist" Social Democrats, this country was destroyed by elite "centrist" nonsense and their brothers on the right. In most countries "centrists" are called what they really are, "conservatives" because they want to conserve what is in place with no fundamental change (no matter how much that is warranted).

"The best thing to do is turn off the tube."

A statement like that won't get any traction around here. 90% of the people that comment here and the owners of this site are avowed mass media addicts. They are mainstream consumers.

I mentioned in my "Congressional Politics" class that I didn't own a TV, after 30 minutes of ZERO class participation from the rest of the students. The room erupted with incredulity which then lead to several discussions of "favorite shows". They had nothing to say about the assignment, the reading, the lecture or the questions our prof asked, but mention TV and they came alive.

He is a wholly owned corporate puppet who shows zero regard for the Constitution and the only time he shows concern for the people is if it in no way conflicts or competes with his corporate masters' goals.

At least he won't be getting a second term.

Well, mine anyway.

Somebody's got to do it.

out of the country! Liz Cheney will be on your doorstep soon.