Who Is In The Middle?

The Presidential race is rolling on, the economy is in the tank, we are still at war in two places and there are several places that we could be at war with at any minute and what happens next seems to rest on the shoulders of some folks known as independent voters.  Who are these people?

Here is how I have been shown the basic makeup of our political system…

Social &..................... Economic..........................Economic..................Social &

Economic...................Conservatives......................Liberals.....................Economic

Liberals.......................Social...............................Social........................Conservatives

...................................Liberals.............................Conservatives...............................

LEFT <------------------------------------{*}--------------------------------------> RIGHT

Democrats ..............(Libertarians)........................................................... Republicans

The key to understanding the middle is the two groups located near the middle of this chart.  The assumption in many people’s estimation is that we all neatly fit into either extreme or we are somehow not as educated or understanding of politics for some reason.  In reality what you have is a difference of opinion on what is truly important from either extreme. 

Because we tend to view American politics as a two party system the groups near the middle tend to not associate themselves to a party fully bet most often vote to the side that they appear on above.  The social aspects of our society and thee social viewpoints of the voter, tend to drive the side they choose when voting on an issue or for a candidate.  Thus, Social Liberals tend to the left and Social Conservatives tend to the right.

The truth is however that the groups near the middle always feel that they have sacrificed some ideal for another one in the interest of the greater good no matter how they decide to vote.

The problem comes when a subject such as the economy plays a big role in the picture.  Now these people near the middle have to look to the other side of the chart to satisfy their feelings on the economy while attempting to close their eyes to what is normally their main concern, the social agenda. 

Why is all of this important to this election?  I think this might demonstrate a very simple reason behind why the pools are so slanted in Senator Obama’s favor.  The Republican Presidential and Vice-presidential candidates have been speaking the language of Social and Economic Conservatives (also known as Republicans) with a fervor seldom seen in campaigns. 

They have basically ignored the group (really groups) that all along have been described as the ones that will make or break this election year and may have alienated the “Economic Liberals Social Conservatives” group in manner that may have them leaning to left for a while to come.

The Obama Campaign has done a good job of finding ways to appeal to these middle groups and to unify the more left leaning voters.  The key being that a candidate does not have to satisfy everything a person in one of the groups in the middle wants just whatever those groups find to be the most important at the time.

The only surprise in all of this is that the “Economic Conservatives Social Liberals” group is not gravitating to the right with Senator McCain.  I would have to say that the tying of Senator McCain to the largely unpopular Bush administration coupled with the dislike a person who is a social liberal would have for many of the campaign tactics and attacks of the McCain camp have driven these people to stay with the group that they tend to run with anyhow.

I am an Economic Liberal Social Conservative type of guy and would normally be a McCain supporter, but have been driven away by the terrible nature of the campaign and the insanity that is Republican politics in 2008.  I am not sure there is time left for the Republican ticket, but I am absolutely convinced that the damage to the republican party (particularly with voters in these middle groups) is massive and will be lasting.  I hope Republicans can look at this and regroup or we will be stuck with a one-sided, left-leaning government for years until things get so out of hand that the pendulum swings the other direction.