# What's a centrist? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 1, 2021, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-centrist/941183 "2021-05-01T22:58:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2021, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-centrist/941183/1 "2021-05-01T22:58:44Z")
Continuing the discussion from [Trolls R Us redux](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trolls-r-us-redux/913349/3281): This thread in IMHO is sparking all kinds of political discussions all over the board so I thought I’d start a thread for everyone to discuss their views on the political part of the question. I put it in the Pit because there have already been several mod actions in IMHO. It might work in P&E but my guess is that it wouldn’t last long there. > [@Where can I find centrist discussion?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-centrist-discussion/941103): > > Determining how other people argue their political and publicly oriented decisions is burdensome. I’ve searched for conservative and politicly center message boards so I can read thoughtful posts from each side. So far, I haven’t found one. All I have been able to get when I search for conservative viewpoint are filled with far-right hate, nonsense talking points and name calling. Quite candidly I would rather not read talking points from either side. Instead, I seek thoughtful conservative and… Some of the other discussions that were spawned by this thread were > [@Tone policing in moderation - it's bad](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tone-policing-in-moderation-its-bad/941161): > > Continuing the discussion from [Where can I find centrist discussion?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-centrist-discussion/941103/46): I’m gonna carp a bit about PuzzleGal’s moderation here. The first observation is fine… okay, they were looking for information, not criticism, and some of us couldn’t resist criticizing. We were wrong, we were on the jerk side, fair call. Speaking for myself, I’m chastened and will not repeat that performance. As to the other bits. I’m calling this out because Puzzlegal has in the past modded me for being “dripping wit… and this discussion > [@Trolls R Us redux \[Now the argument clinic\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trolls-r-us-redux/913349/3282): > > Excellent reference, thank you (and to @Heffalump_and_Roo for providing the cite). The poster under discussion here (@cincinnatus) seems to be in search of a discussion forum that promotes conservative values but is not insane. This would have been a perfectly reasonable thing to ask for a few decades ago, but as long as Republicans are now the presumed standard-bearers of “conservative values”, any such discussion is by definition going to be insanity vs. reality: Trump, Jim Jordan, Marjor… So. . . what’s a centrist? Do centrists exist? If they exist, where can they be found? ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2021, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-centrist/941183/2 "2021-05-01T23:07:38Z")
They exist. They believe in the _old_ _stated_ values of the GOP, but had to leave when the GOP became the party of evil. They are mostly in hiding, their former brethren being as evil and bloodthirsty as they are. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2021, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-centrist/941183/3 "2021-05-01T23:14:26Z")
Self-described centrists come in a variety of flavors: The ones that take the label so that anyone to the left of them can be called “far left” and, when asked who is to the far right of them, either will not answer or will name some legendary dictator…or vice-versa. The professional fence sitter who will jump through hoops to show that if one side does something bad, the other side did something equally bad. The rare person who is more concerned about what is said and done, and less about who said it or what political affiliation that person identifies with. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2021, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-centrist/941183/4 "2021-05-01T23:18:13Z")
I’ll share what I shared earlier: centrists are people who like to strike a pose of rationalism and contrarianism. They hold conflicting positions that, in a normal person, would cause so much cognitive dissonance that their heads would explode. They’re happy to take endless everloving shit from both sides, because they take it as validation that they’re better than both sides. They’ll happily watch half the political spectrum run over a cliff, and dutifully shift their position closer to the cliff so they can stay in the center. > [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > They exist. They believe in the _old_ _stated_ values of the GOP, but had to leave when the GOP became the party of evil. Also this. They’re old-GOP types, but now that the GOP is radioactive, they’ve struck the “centrist” pose to avoid backlash while waiting for the mythical moderate GOP to return. Look carefully at centrists to see who they hold responsible for rhetorical excess, or not being in touch with everyday people, or failing to meet in the middle and compromise. It’s always the left. Always. That’s because the laziest resolution to their cognitive dissonance would be for the left to shift more rightward, so the “center” need make no adjustments whatsoever. The center critiques the _substance_ of the left, but only the _aesthetics_ of the right. I don’t label moderates as centrists, but centrists and rightists overwhelmingly ape a “moderate” posture to appear reasonable. It’s always about the charade of appearing to be the most reasonable and rational. (I myself am guilty of this at times). ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2021, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-centrist/941183/5 "2021-05-01T23:22:23Z")
I’m maybe one? I’m not sure, I don’t like the term “centrist” though. It sounds like someone determined to stay in the middle and that’s not me. I don’t consciously avoid being left or right, that’s just where I seem to fall. I usually just call myself a “moderate” when a label is necessary. I was conservative but the old school conservative, which doesn’t seem to exist anymore. Then I considered myself center-right and now if I’m honest, I’m probably center-left. As the left keeps doing stuff and advocating things that make more sense I can’t help it. My dad’s pretty conservative, a little too much (some real conservative and some Trump conservative) and I can still find common ground with him on some things but we aren’t really on the same page anymore. I know this board is way left of me a lot of the time but I still agree with most of the posters and I don’t feel uncomfortable here. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2021, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-centrist/941183/6 "2021-05-01T23:23:30Z")
A centrist is someone who claims to judge both sides equally, but in practice, judges both sides to be equal. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2021, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-centrist/941183/7 "2021-05-01T23:24:14Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > The rare person who is more concerned about what is said and done, and less about who said it or what political affiliation that person identifies with. This sounds pretty good and what I would guess most people who consider themselves centrists to be defined as. How can you tell if they fall into another category? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2021, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-centrist/941183/8 "2021-05-01T23:25:21Z")
Is someone “centrist” if they favor radicals on both sides? I favor universal single-payer healthcare, high taxes on the rich, am very environmentalist, and want almost all guns confiscated. I also oppose abortion, PC, affirmative action, am ultra-hawkish neocon, and oppose the multiple-genders-or-identifying-as-trans stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2021, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-centrist/941183/9 "2021-05-01T23:27:18Z")
> [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](#): > > This sounds pretty good and what I would guess most people who consider themselves centrists to be defined as. How can you tell if they fall into another category? How they respond to bad things done by either side-Do they say “That is bad!”, or do they consistently say “Yes, that is bad…and it is just as bad when(never if) the other side does it!” ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2021, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-centrist/941183/10 "2021-05-01T23:30:01Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I also oppose abortion, PC, AA You’re against Alcoholics Anonymous? /s What’s AA stand for? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2021, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-centrist/941183/11 "2021-05-01T23:30:37Z")
sorry, affirmative action. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2021, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-centrist/941183/12 "2021-05-01T23:36:30Z")
Might I ask that you not use the initials “AA” as an abbreviation for “Affirmative Action”? ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2021, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-centrist/941183/13 "2021-05-01T23:45:37Z")
Okay. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2021, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-centrist/941183/14 "2021-05-01T23:46:16Z")
Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2021, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-centrist/941183/15 "2021-05-01T23:50:33Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Is someone “centrist” if they favor radicals on both sides? > > I favor universal single-payer healthcare, high taxes on the rich, am very environmentalist, and want almost all guns confiscated. I also oppose abortion, PC, affirmative action, am ultra-hawkish neocon, and oppose the multiple-genders-or-identifying-as-trans stuff. Considering what you have labeled as “radical” positions on that list, I’m not at all sure where you fall on the political spectrum. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2021, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-centrist/941183/16 "2021-05-02T00:08:19Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I favor universal single-payer healthcare, high taxes on the rich, am very environmentalist, and want almost all guns confiscated. I also oppose abortion, PC, affirmative action, am ultra-hawkish neocon, and oppose the multiple-genders-or-identifying-as-trans stuff. That list is mind-bending. I’ve been staring at it for a long time, reading it over and over. It just seems like there should be some internal contradiction in it, but I can’t find it. It’s like a puzzle. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2021, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-centrist/941183/17 "2021-05-02T01:44:29Z")
I think of myself as centerist/ moderate. Mainly because when I was in the oilfield or hanging around my wife’s mining industry friends they all think of me as the flaming liberal in the group. When I hang out with my leftist friends I am their crazy republican friend (I was actually used on a friends resume to show she could work and respect people on the far right). I tend much more to libertarian in that I want the government leaving people alone as much as possible which means I’m socially liberal and fiscally conservative. I’ve also come to believe that UBI and universal health care are a minimist government intervention but I don’t want much done about guns and I’m pro death penalty, suicide and abortion. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2021, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-centrist/941183/18 "2021-05-02T02:23:14Z")
I’m kind of against AA, but that would be yet another thread. Too religious Somehow has/had courts mandating people join No better success rate than non- religious groups So kind of bullshit too me in some ways and good in others ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2021, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-centrist/941183/19 "2021-05-02T02:28:24Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I favor universal single-payer healthcare, high taxes on the rich, am very environmentalist, and want almost all guns confiscated. I also oppose abortion, PC, affirmative action, am ultra-hawkish neocon, and oppose the multiple-genders-or-identifying-as-trans stuff. I think I get what you mean when you say you oppose abortion, in terms of governmental policies; I think we’re on opposite sides, but I believe I know what you want the law to _be._ But what, exactly, do you have in mind when you say you _“oppose the multiple-genders-or-identifying-as-trans stuff”_? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2021, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-centrist/941183/20 "2021-05-02T02:28:45Z")
So I was a Moderate and a Republican. But the current Republican party does act evil and insane and very anti-American. Also many of my views have moved towards the left. I’m an independent but the last Republican I voted for was Chris Christie and the last Republican for President was Reagan. I would have voted for McCain over Gore however. But Cheney got the nomination for his puppet instead. I voted Nadar instead. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-centrist/941183.md?page=2)