From the Left:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/opinion/19rich.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
From the Right:
Isn’t it nice to know that, no matter where we disagree on the important issues of the day, we can all agree that the No Labels crowd are a bunch of useless wankers?
I agree. Labels are very useful and help us quickly and easily identify, generally, what a politician’s ideology and likely practice is/will be.
Eliminating such meaningful labels as “liberal” and “conservative”, “left”/“right” means that voters will be forced to try and glean some sort of idea of what, exactly, someone stands for from a multitude of soundbites, snipets and campaign rhetoric.
While such labels can also be too limiting and we shouldn’t rely on them exclusively and must still look at specific positions and records, they provide a valuable starting point. They are shorthand for widely accepted/recognized world-views and policy approaches. There ARE real, meaningful, practical differences between such “labels”.
If someone is not willing to clearly identify themselves with a commonly understood label, they make it much harder for the average voter to reach any informed conclusions re’ whether or not they actually represent THEM. As a progressive Independent, I want to know if the “Democrat” I may vote for considers themselves a “moderate” or a “liberal/progressive” AND I want to be able to check their record and rhetoric against the label they choose.
But don’t the successful politicians artfully dodge the labels by being a “compassionate” conservative or a “new” Democrat or by “throwing off the politics of the past” or “listen to both sides of the aisle” to “accomplish things for our children”?
It seems that nobody says, “I am conservative. Period. Next question.” or “I am a liberal. Vote for me.”
Clearly those No Labels people are a bunch of commie pinko leftists.
When I opened the thread I thought this was something about eliminating clothing labels, which often irritate me, so I was all for it.
But don’t you want to bask in the reflected glory by wearing an Abercrombie & Fitch shirt?
I wear cheap Target and Shopko labels, so no, I don’t need a bunch of rich fucks lording their A&F shirts over me.
Chairman Mao suits for everyone!
Labels are pretty useful for learning about the person using them, too.
I thought this was going to be about tagless t-shirts. I don’t know how anyone can’t get behind that idea.
ETA: or yeah, what Boyo Jim said.
I’m all for bi-partisanship, left and right working together, but yes, they should self-identify, I would think. No matter what side I was on, I’d be pleased as punch to hear “I’m a Democrat and I support this” and “I’m a Republican and I support this” coming from my favourite bill.
I thought it was going to be about labels on food, and how the far left didn’t like them because we should celebrate the obese and the far right didn’t like them because they were nanny-state.
As for politics, I guess if I had to label myself I’m pro-label, but my position is so nuanced that that label sells me short.