New Centrist Blog and the question of who dislikes centrists more.

Micheal Totten is contributing to a new center-left blog called "Donklephant". Yes, the animal is as ugly as the name, but it is memorable. I haven;t had a chance to review the new blog for any length of time, so I'll hold off any comment except to say "Welcome to the blogosphere's center/pivot/hub"...those sound better than "no-man's-land in the crossfire." We certainly do need to see some former and current Democrats openly speaking as centrist, in the same way we need to hear from the moderate Muslims. The extremists are getting way too much air time.

Michael goes on to wonder if the Left has a more difficult time with the centrists than the Right.

There are, generally speaking, at least two kinds of people who argue with the left. Both right-wingers and centrists do it. Not only is that allowed, it’s part of the whole point of being in the middle instead of on the left.

You can’t even stick one little pinky toe outside the left-wing perimeter without being denounced as a right-wing death beast by some people. That exclusive bitchy little high school clique really does subscribe to the whole “you’re either with us or you're against us” mentality. How unnuanced and simplisme.

He's right there, of course. On issue "A" the perimeter folks find you bein' friendly with their enemy,y and never forget it. On other issues, perhaps even many issues, when you are on their side they will discount that because... well, they're so correct in their thinking they expect everyone to agree. It is tough to win wit any sort of ideologue.

That the Left seems the more intolerant of centrist is because at the moment, the Left is intolerant of everyone. They have become dangerously paranoid and it shows. The Right has been abusing its part of the center for decades, so the level of rancor has mellowed a bit. The conservatives also have been winning lately, with the help of centrists, so things are a bit easier on that flank. I can personally attest, as Michael mentions in this post, that conservatives who are very supporting of former liberals becoming centrist, have a very different response to centrist leanings within the Republican ranks. All in all, though, we've been trading barbs for all my adult life and have evolved a more comfortable relationship.

I've been waiting for the sensible Democrats to show up and be counted. There are times I would like to side with that group. I'm a long way from a 100% supporter of my party too, but the more vocal Democrats these days are unable to see any nuance in their opponents, and won't have me. No if I can just accustom myself to that donklephant on their masthead...

PS Here's a round up of recent Donklephant posts.