is USA a lot more moderate than we think it is?

you only have to look at conservative candidates like Thompson or Hunter tanking (who are really the only true conservatives in the race), or on our side Edwards and Kucinich not doing so well, who are to the left of Clinton or Obama.

I think the people who post on here or www.freerepublic.com are really just a very small fraction of the actual voters

I know the fellows I work with don't like politics at all. They have a cynical attitude that all of them are crooks, and I think vote according to the candidate they view to do the least damage to them. I know that they aren't for anything too different from what they have now, even though they hate what they have now, because they figure something different will be very much worse than what they have now. They really don't pay attention to much (and definitely not to me), and are interested only if they hear a candidate won't raise their taxes or take away their guns. They don't realize how they are often manipulated.

if you get down to it and ask people what they care about, most people want well funded schools and healthcare and other traditionally liberal things and don't like corporate welfare and war. I think it is a combination of media and religious brainwashing that makes them vote otherwise

but yes, most Americans are more moderate than DU. Independents are really who decide elections and alas, Repubs are picking their most independent friendly candidate (McCain) while we are picking out least independent friendly candidate (Clinton). I guess Dems likes the electoral results of Dukakis.

Giuliani, Huckabee and Romney on the right. They would be considered extreme wackadoodle right. Candidates like Clinton, Obama and and Ron Paul would be considered moderate and middle of the road. Edwards and Kucinish would be left. I don't think there is a candidate out there that qualifies for extreme wackadoodle left.

like rush limbauh or posters on the hardcore conservative websites

they hate giuliani because he supports gun laws, abortion, and gay rights

they hate huckabee because he says we have a christian duty to help poor people through government

they hate mccain because he opposed torture, and supports immigration reform (path to citizenship)

their true conservative candidates (thompson/hunter) are getting destroyed, and they are just as devastated as we are that their ideology is not catching up with the masses

elected by far more liberal areas and ran more as centrists then - not that there isn't plenty to complain about there.

They're in the standard cycle of having to run as far to right as they can in the primary and still be able to run more as a centrist in the GE.

All that said, I think that to compete in the primary they have had to sell out whatever might once have been centrist in their positions.

Many people are tired of the conservative politics that we've suffered under for the last 30 years (even Bill Clinton was more conservative than true moderate).

Historically (before PAC's) politics swings in broad arcs like a pendulum, but in the current political climate of corporate owned party's the arc is being artificially held to a narrow band of choice this November between a conservative Republican like McCain and a conservative Democrat like Hillary.

This country really wants someone truly liberal, but we wont have the chance from the looks of it.

I am little progressive on a lot of issues and some issues I consider myself a little toward the conservative side. I am willing to bet more people fall in line with me then the far left or the far right.

I find some views so far to the left on DU I just wonder how anyone could fit their needs in a candidate. And if they did would they be electable. I find that some on DU are looking for the perfect candidate and have no room for compromise.

I have no problem with Edwards, but some problems with Kucinich. It may just be their personality fit with me. There isn't one republican I could consider to approach ideology.

If you take moderation to mean the majority fall between the two extremes on a given issue, then the general population would have to be moderate. However, moderation is a moving target that depends on the issue and the country at the time. The middle is now what was a "liberal" Democratic view back in 2000. The majority oppose the war and think it was bad idea. The majority want a government program to address health care. The majority support action on climate change. The current middle is more supportive of civil liberties especially compared to the public mood following 9/11. It sets us up to do well in the general election regardless of which Democratic candidate is our nominee.

"A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice." - Thomas Paine

The people here in the US for the most part are fooled.