My ass is planted firmly in the middle! Call me what you want

[freetobegay]

I won't go to the right & I have leaned to left but after reading from our friends from the left, they have me running right back to the middle. They are actually starting to scare me.

[Goldmund]

1. What does...

...the behavior of some people who belong to a certain section of the political spectrum have to do with where on that spectrum your beliefs belong?

[WilliamPitt]

2. Bastard. Scum. Traitor. Fascist. Bush-lite wanna-be Puke.

Just getting in ahead of the curve. :)

[freetobegay]

5. LOL!

[movonne]

3. Could the far left be any worst than the far right...maybe we need

them to counteract the far, far right...

[MsUnderstood]

4. I could see why you would run back to the right

Since they support your rights so strongly.

[freetobegay]

7. Who said the right?

I said middle. Please when you quote do it correctly.

[MsUnderstood]

22. Oh sorry

What I meant to say was
"I could see why you would run back toward the right"

See isn't that much funnier?

[Raven]

6. Unfortunately,

there is no "middle" in this election. :-)

[kentuck]

10. The "middle" is not a stationary position...

The middle is now way over on the right....It moved when these radicals took power.

[Nederland]

18. There is a middle in this election

And its name is John Kerry.

[Julien Sorel]

8. The middle is left.

I've been in the middle for 20 years, and my outlook hasn't changed much in that time. But I now find myself considered a "liberal" by current standards. Well, most places except here, where I'm a right wing facist, that is.

[ScreamingMeemie]

9. Yeah, scary old leftist me.

:eyes: What is so scary about a person holding to their beliefs? :shrug: Why is it that I am "scary" because I'm continuing to have questions?? Isn't this America yet?

[ret5hd]

11. you cant be neutral on a moving train.

on edit:

forget it.

[ieoeja]

12. Also in the middle.

After a few weeks on DU I find myself leaning Right. Then I spend a few minutes at FR and come running back to where they at least don't fantasize about mass executions of their political opponents.

More importantly I take a better look at the more outrageous threads here and realize that, while the nutcases catch my attention, the vast majority of the respondants oppose the extremists. And this is in spite of the fact that undoubtedly most of those opposed to the extremists don't bother with those threads at all. Conversely, on FR the most outrageous statements seem to be met with cheers.

[VirginiaDem]

16. Who is in the middle?

Who's in the middle? I'll tell ya who is in the middle--Kerry is. That's why we're winning this election. When Bush allowed Rove to leave the left flank unguarded, Kerry squatted right down on it and now there's nothing they can do about it. Bush/Rove are stuck with trying to defend an insanely right-wing tax cut against Kerry's very moderate alternative. Bush/Rove are stuck defending a failing/failed unilateral war effort against Kerry's plan to internationalize it. Bush and Rove are stuck with defending outsourcing and ignoring its effects. Anything to the left of this puts Kerry right in the middle.

[JI7]

13. what you are is a Progressive

you understand politics is politics. that people have different views at times and not everyone always agrees. but you want to make a change for the better within that context. you have ideals but know what the best way to reach them is.

you don't view politics as some religion where it's mostly about beliefs. it seems some people mistake politics for religion at times.

[freetobegay]

14. Your my Guardian Angel thanks!

You always seem to know what I am trying to say but don't

:hi:

[mr715]

17. Well stated

AND THE LORD GOD SAID UNTO KUCINICH, Thou Shalt Be The Redeemer!

And the Christ Kucinich did turn unto the Lord and praised him, and it was good.

And then Kucinich did descend the Mount of Washington and did turn to his people, and did say, "Meat is murder" and the people were cowed.

And then Kucinich did turn to His people and did say "There shall be a department of Peace" and the people nodded and smiled and removed the frontal lobe of their brains.

And then Kucinich did turn to His people and did say "I have changed my positions of abortion, civil rights, and capital punishment!" And the people admired his strength.

And then Kucinich did turn to His people and did say "The deceivers who supported the war now say they oppose it!" And the people called them flip-flopper and armed themselves with stones, and proceeded to stone their own feet.

ITS THE END OF DAYS!!!!!

[eridani]

30. Yeah, right.

Back here in the real world, any time media types bugged Kucinich about being vegan, he always said "Is this interview for the Food section?"

[qwlauren35]

15. Interesting...

I was hoping that a thread like this would get started. I don't think I ever realized how middle I was until I came here. 20 years ago, I styled myself on the Internet as "radical moderate". (Radical as in outspoken).

Even though I wish we'd get the hell out of Iraq, I think we've done too much damage to go without attempting to repair it (although I don't sense that we're doing that right now!)

Even though I'm rabidly pro-abortion, I have tremendous respect for Pro-Lifers who fight for improved adoption laws and similar alternatives for pregnant women.

Even though I want to see the GLBT community have the rights they deserve (and I stand corrected that civil unions don't afford the federal recognition that they deserve), it angers me terribly that a SMALL faction of that community believes that they have the right to be openly promiscuous because some straights are, or the right to be graphic because some straights are, or the right to be pedophiles because some straights are. I truly would like to see graphic sexual behavior and role-playing (gay and straight) put back in the bedroom where it belongs instead of out on public display, and sexual deviance (pedophilia) denounced from the highest mountain-tops instead of acknowledged through NAMBLA.

Even though I'm glad that most African-Americans support the Democratic party, I respect those who believe that the Republicans share more of their right-wing fundamentalist values, if that's where they are coming from (respect from a distance...) and I recognize that the Democratic party often fails us, despite our unwavering support.

I don't spend nearly as much time thinking about the environment as I probably should. I don't recycle. I frequently use plastic disposable items. And I don't fight for environmental causes.

I'm not convinced that having "In God We Trust" on money is a bad thing, or that ***silent*** prayer in public schools should be banned.

I actually SUPPORT faith-based initiatives. I attended a seminar about them, led by a Buddhist, and if the effort is managed CORRECTLY, it may seriously address some of the gaps in social services that are created by overworked government bureaucrats and troubled individuals who don't know how to "work the system".

There are times when I'm sure I don't belong here... and that half of the DU'ers have put me on ignore.

And yet, I am 95% behind Kerry. He will have my vote, he has received my donations, and I am actively campaigning for him. And frankly, when I'm campaigning, I certainly keep the dirty little secret about that 5% to myself.

I sense that in many ways, I'm an AVERAGE American. I'm not particularly well-informed, certainly not compared to numerous members of the DU community. I'm frequently not up on the news. I'm not involved in half-a-dozen progressive causes. I'm just busy living my life as best I can, and I've chosen to get involved this time because I think it's important, but I'll probably (hopefully) fade back into the woodwork after November 2nd.

So thank you for starting this thread. It's nice for moderates to have a voice now and then.

[kentuck]

19. But it's the left and the right that add the yeast to the bread....

I could not imagine what this campaign would be like, how it would be discussed, if everyone was in the "middle"??

[info being]

20. Great. You're only half wrong.

Kidding, of course. I don't understand people who label themselves along the spectrum. My thought doesn't seem to fit very well with a two-dimensional spectrum.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

21. "Call me what you want".....

How about Log Cabin Republican? :shrug:

I can't see where you would differ from their agenda. (Of course, except for the fact the GOP would like to burn your gay ass.)

[Crunchy Frog]

23. Be whatever you want

I don't care what you believe. I find that I disagree with a number things that you say, but think you have every right to say and believe them.

I just hope you will extend the same kind of respect to me.

I tend to maintain my own beliefs no matter what anybody else says, but that's just me.

[fujiyama]

24. Bush enable Bush enabler!

Hey I had to be part of the crowd...before the Naderites kick in.

[wyldwolf]

25. Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right... here I am...

..stuck in the middle with DU!

[MoonRiver]

26. Because of your handle here, I assume it is ok to mention this.

"freetobegay" will only apply under a Democratic government. I'm not gay, but I believe homosexuals should be allowed to marry, and possess all the accompanying rights and responsibilities. How many Republicans would assert the same view? :hug:

[wyldwolf]

27. saywhat, say what?

freetobegay didn't say he wasn't a democrat - he said he is a centrist or moderate.

He is referring to the hard left Naderite-type marxist conspiracy theorists on DU.

[MoonRiver]

28. Well, the middle (of the Dem party) is fine, imho.

I misinterpreted his message I guess. My bad :spank:

[Dob Bole]

29. Middle-Ass!!

[ibegurpard]

31. What a font of profundity you are!

:eyes: