Reply #64: This may seem completely alien to you, but I will try [View All]

I don't buy into package deals. I don't let anyone else do my thinking for me. I form my opinions on every political question through a process of independent thought.

My beliefs are not driven by any pre-packaged philosophy. I have no loyalty whatsoever to any party, pressure group, or organization.

Does a centrist have a position on anything that isn't described with "It's not too this" and "It's not too that"?

The phrasing of your question suggests that you think centrism is a belief system of some kind. I don't believe it is. I cannot speak for all centrists or centrists in general, only for myself.

To me, centrism is exercise of free thought as opposed to a dogmatic attachment to any particular ideology. That does not exclude the possibility of coming to the same conclusion as someone else on one particular issue or another. Some good ideas come from the left. Some come from the right. If an idea makes sense to me, I don't care about the credentials of the person who thought it up. One from Column A, two from Column B, with five or more you get free egg roll.

I agree with MOST of the Democratic party's platform on most subjects. Most of the candidates I vote for happen to be Democrats. But that's not in any way because they are Democrats, it's because I think they are right.

Your question about a centrist's position on torture struck me as absurd. Ask me for MY position on torture (or anything else) and I'll probably give you a thoughtful answer.

Why not ask what the left wing position on torture is? Or the right wing position? You won't get a consistent answer because both the far left and far right have both used it and rejected its use as it suited them.