My question is why is there no call for Republicans to move to the center

[ThomWV]

There is not one candidate from the Republican Party running this season (or their Tea-bagging twins) who could be called anything less than a far right wing zealot. Why is there no demand that they move to the center, that constant call made to Democrats?

[Cronus Protagonist]

1. They're already AT the center

As defined by TV pundits.

[slackmaster]

2. The far right has taken over so thoroughly that no such call would be tolerated

Anyone who tried it would be shouted down.

[bettyellen]

3. their constituancy sees things in black and white, doesn't admire compromising

[Uben]

4. That's easy!

You're either crazy stupid or you're not. If you are, you are a republican. If not, you're either a democrat or something in between. The republican party does a good job of eliminating moderates in their party by keeping rabid RWers in leadership positions.

[mr_liberal]

5. Theyre not in power.

If they get power and seem too right wing and too partisan they'll be criticized then too.

Its Obama's one hope of being reelected, either that they gain power and overreach or he compromises with them and passes some bills that both parties agree to.

This is 1994 all over again. Clinton started out his presidency too liberal too, lost the Congress, then went to the center and got reelected.

[TreasonousBastard]

6. Because there's no need to. So far, the wingnuts have little problem...

getting elected.

Should that change, and it most likely will, they will be called out or ostracized.

[LawnKorn]

7. We don't want Republicans to move to the center; we want them to move out of Washington

Republicans need to be driven out of politics and let the mentally balanced adults work on the problems.

[leftstreet]

8. Because there's no such thing as 'the center'

It's a made up bullshit term

[gmoney]

9. Because the only way forward is to move backwards!

Because today's government must be based on the writings of shepherds and cave dwellers who lived a couple thousand years ago half a world away... geez, doncha know nuthin??

[Motown_Johnny]

10. because they are still following Rove's "deeper not wider" approach to their base

trying to get more votes by catering to the extremists because they will turn out in larger numbers for them instead of trying to pick up a couple percent in the middle.


I think it is a short term approach that is doomed to long term failure, much like everything else conservatives do.

[zbdent]

11. because they'd lose their funding?

Like all the Ohio Republicans who signed pledges to the religious reich, saying that they would oppose 100 percent any legislation which would allow casinos to come to Ohio ...

[msongs]

12. because only democrats surrender their powers by doing that sort of thing nt

[donco]

13. Becaus most of

us are now in the Democratic party where the call us dinos…or worse.

[jp11]

14. The only thing they have left as republicans is to chase that unicorn of

the right wing base which means they have to get 'crazier', going moderate puts them out of the party then they either have to go independent or democrat.

I honestly thought the craziness would push them to reform the party and cut off their right wing nut job 'base' and move into the present or at least the recent past with 'moderates' but that obviously didn't happen. Selling fear, smearing democrats and liberals worked too well especially when democrats can't stand up for themselves or fight the BS with the truth or even 'common sense'.

[jillan]

15. They are never asked to move to the center, yet we always are labelled the most liberal & told to

move to the center.


Face it - the repugs walk all over us. They have dems supporting tax cuts to the rich, afraid to support true health care reform, afraid of true climate change legislation.

It's like we are the party of grapes - they stomp on us and we whine.