The March of the Moderates

I do think that the blogosphere in general can become something of a partisan echo chamber that naturally creates a more standoffish mentality. But I really appreciate Josh Marshall and Kevin Drum and Digby's takes on their evolution because I recognize them. Only I recognize them from the other side. This line from Kevin Drum is significant:

THE (FORMERLY) MUSHBALL MIDDLE....Josh Marshall talks about the change in his writing over the past few years:

"I guess I'm one of those partisanized moderates Kevin Drum has spoken of (not sure that's precisely the phrase he used.) That leads to a certain loss of nuance sometimes in commentary and a loss in the variegation of our politics generally. As a writer, often it's less satisfying. But I cannot see looking back on all this, the threat the country is under, and saying, I stood aloof."

I've tried harder than Josh to retain a moderate tone over the years, but this describes me pretty well too. And just recently I've been thinking about what a genuinely profound story this is, one that the mainstream media ought to be more interested in. Instead of writing incessantly about "angry bloggers," they ought to be asking why so many mild-mannered moderate liberals have become so radicalized during George Bush's tenure. It deserves attention beyond the level of cliches and slogans.

I can't say that I've had exactly the same experience. I'll out myself by saying I briefly worked for the Nader campaign in 2000. (In a safe blue state, don't throw me to the wolves, guys!) What the last 5 1/2 years have taught me is exactly how much elections matter. You're never going to have ideological purity in choosing candidates, certainly not at the national level. But that doesn't mean there isn't a HUGE difference for the country and its citizens. In many ways I've become MORE moderate since jumping on the blog train in 2003, or at least more pragmatic. I would say that there's a big difference between becoming "radicalized," as Drum puts it, and just picking a side in an environment that doesn't allow for much in the way of nuance.

Politics have become professional wrestling in many ways, and I'm not happy about it either, but I think we all recognize that you can either capitulate or get in the ring. The "irate" characterization is nothing more than playing the game the way it needs to be played in this current environment. The ideological appellation, be it moderate, progressive, liberal, leftist or whatever, is largely beside the point right now. The way the Republicans have played the game for over a decade demands a unified front that is willing to mix it up. The whole "angry left" trash talk is just a pose, a way to push Democrats off the line. They don't want us playing on their turf, because if that evens out, it'll come down to a matchup of ideas and the public record.

And we can't have that.