Will there be room for a centrist political movement?

[jpdivola]

Originally Posted by katzpaw

Bernie was left wing.
Hillary and Democrats by words and deeds are centrist.
Trump panders to the far right and ceded the center to Hillary.

If you disagree then define centrist policies.

I think centrist is less about an ideology and more about a basic approach to politics.
1) No one ideology or group has a monopoly on virtue or wisdom.
2) We should select policies based on a clear eyed assessment of real world evidence vs. abstract ideological principles.
3) We shouldn't surround ourselves only with ideas/people that reinforce our existing beliefs.
4) Social/political change is difficult and has lots of unintended consequences. We should be evolutionary/cautious.
5) We should be willing to compromise to achieve results.
5) We live in a diverse country and we shouldn't just look to our own interest groups/supporters, we need to attempt to reach out/understand people that may not be our base.

I agree clearly Hillary is more in the centrist mold than Donald Trump. Trump has no tangible agenda, so its hard to label him an ideologue, but he is clearly temperamentally immoderate. But, Hillary Clinton is being pulled to the left by the liberal interest groups in her party.

For example, on immigration policy she has been pulled to the left by immigration activists and on trade policy she has been pulled away from the policy of embracing trade/helping displaced workers to more of a classic Bernie Sanders anti-free trade agenda.

[PCALMike]

Originally Posted by jpdivola

But, Hillary Clinton is being pulled to the left by the liberal interest groups in her party.

For example, on immigration policy she has been pulled to the left by immigration activists and on trade policy she has been pulled away from the policy of embracing trade/helping displaced workers to more of a classic Bernie Sanders anti-free trade agenda.

The TPP isnt about trade primarily, it is about corporate rights. Making medicine unaffordable, extend patents, suing elected governments etc. Calling the TPP a "free trade" deal is like calling North Korea a Democratic People's Republic. It is propaganda.

https://theintercept.com/2016/07/05/...-corporations/

https://theintercept.com/2015/11/06/...k-regulations/

[CT_Native]

There's the Unity Party of America.

Their platform, updated earlier this year, appears to be based on fair representation, constitutional preservation, fiscal responsibility, objective reaction, and common sense. The only thing that popped out at me was their Obama-like approach to free trade, but I guess it makes sense.

[PCALMike]

Originally Posted by CT_Native

There's the Unity Party of America.

Their platform, updated earlier this year, appears to be based on fair representation, constitutional preservation, fiscal responsibility, objective reaction, and common sense. The only thing that popped out at me was their Obama-like approach to free trade, but I guess it makes sense.

Seems like a right-wing extremist party to me. Balanced budget amendments mean we would have been unable to win WW1 and WW2 for example. All in the name of protecting the donor class.