# What's a centrist?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-centrist/941183
**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:** 1
**Showing post:** 45

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### Author: ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)
#### Post date: [May 3, 2021, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-centrist/941183/45 "2021-05-03T01:56:55Z")

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I penned this in 2016:

> [@What is centrism in American politics today?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-centrism-in-american-politics-today/750410/8):
>
> I am a centrist by European standards. This puts me on the far left fringe of the American political spectrum. For example, I think those who don’t accept the scientific consensus on evolution and global warming are crackpots. Also, I think foreign policy chin-scratchers who lead us into pointless multi-trillion dollar wars are have shamed themselves and should be treated with skepticism. Unexceptional in Europe, shrill in the US. Indeed, to be taken seriously as a foreign policy expert on US Sunday talk shows, you have to have a long history of demonstrably bad calls like smilin’ Bill Kristol, scowlin’ Dick Cheney or John McCain.  
> My alleged Political Compass  
> Economic Left/Right: -3.13  
> Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -4.77  
> The Democratic Party would be center-right in Europe.

It’s out of date. Bernie and AOC have expanded the US Overton window and now I’m somewhere on the US center-left. Yay! It’s about time.

I’m still a centrist by European standards insofar as I could imagine myself voting Tory or Labour in the UK, depending. In France, I would be a Macron guy.

Hijack: Google gave me absolutely nothing with this search specification.  
“measure for measure” centrist far left fringe of the American political spectrum. site:straightdope.com

[Duck-Duck Go](https://duckduckgo.com) gave me a lot, none of it helpful. I only found my quote with [Ecosia.com](http://Ecosia.com) “The search engine that plants trees.” Sheesh.

Regarding the OP, never-Trump conservatives who disavow white nationalism might reasonably be characterized as centrist in the existing US political spectrum. Many of them might be considered pretty far right in 2005, but times change.

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