Moderates Just Don't Get It

Will Marshall, the president of the Progressive Policy Institute, recently wrote, “Conservatives appeal to voters on a gut level; liberals invoke facts, analysis, rational arguments. It’s no contest: Demagoguery trumps sweet reason every time.”  But it’s not just liberals that rely on rationality, it’s also moderates. 

Moderates are pragmatists.  As pragmatists they understand that no ideology or party has a monopoly on good ideas.  They also realize that solutions cannot be a “one size fits all” for every problem; tax cuts are not always the answer and government intervention isn’t always productive.  Pragmatists know that every problem must be analyzed within the current context, from different perspectives, and not to reinforce some strict, eternal ideological system.  Like John Maynard Keynes said, “When the facts change, I change my mind.” 

So moderate, pragmatic politicians believe that they can rely on offering solutions (and competent administration if President) to persuade voters.  Their argument goes something like this - this problem would be best resolved by this solution and I’m offering that solution so I can persuade voters to support me. 

But as political theorist and former Bill Clinton adviser William Galston argues, “Sometimes, civic-republican pragmatism can be a fancy label for a fundamental misunderstanding of how politics works.” 

Political commentator Bill Schneider takes it one step further and explains, “Politics is not just about problem-solving. Politics is also about causes and values that stir the blood: ‘us’ versus ‘them.’ Republicans have become totally committed to that ideological style of politics. Problem-solving is secondary. Every issue is a battle between ‘us’ and ‘them.’”  

Effective administration and offering the best solutions are not enough.  Politics is not built upon rational decision making; politics is war by other means.  

Pragmatists just don’t get that.  They can’t rely on rationality, competence, and effective solutions; they must also provide a narrative that brands their governing style in a way that informs and persuades voters.  They must tie emotion to the debate by appealing to voters on a gut level like ideologues do. 

Now the question is, how do moderates do that? 

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• American Politics