Where’s the middle?

Full Disclosure:  This blog post will upset many.
Republicans, such as Jon Huntsman, who take remotely moderate stances on any number of topics, are castigated by the new right wing base.  The idea of cooperating or compromise leads to condemnation and being branded a RINO.  Not only is the President is wrong, he’s a Socialist Marxist Indonesian Kenyan Muslim anti-American lover of terrorists. Government is the enemy.
Democrats, such as President Obama, who realize that governing means deal making, are chastised by the extreme left as being conciliatory in abandoning those precious progressive pillars.  The idea of cooperating or compromise leads to condemnation and being branded a DINO.  Not only is the President wrong, he’s a Wall Street funded compromising promise breaking illegal war mongering corporatist.  Business is the enemy.
The Occupy Wall Street movement is clearly a solid liberal entity where the lighter shades of blue will sympathize with the movement, but do not consider themselves the much hated 1%.  In fact unless you think all mayors are evil and a general strike is in order, you are not part of the movement.  OK, I can live with that.  Meanwhile on the right is The Tea Party that in comparison to OWS actually cuts a bigger swatch of representation ranging from the libertarians to the staunch conservatives.
A remarkable observation is the similarities between the Tea Partiers and Occupiers: distrust of the government, have been ravaged by the great recession, need to blame somebody, tend to listen/watch/read media sources who represent what they believe, are unemployed, and believe everybody else is wrong.  Occupiers can come across as whiny and Tea Partiers as mean.
Occupiers want to boycott Black Friday to hurt corporate profits and Tea Partiers want to boycott the census.  Who do they think they are punishing by these actions?  It reminds me of the “don’t by gas on Wednesday” protests against oil companies.  Yeah, that will show them right up until people get gas on Thursday.
I am not the 1% and only partially identify with the 99%, but I believe a society with gross income disparity cannot survive.  I think Tea Partiers who call the President a Nazi are idiots and I think Occupiers who compare Mayor Bloomberg to Mubarak or al-Assad are fools.  I am smart enough to realize the status quo is untenable and that tax revenues need to be increased and spending curtailed.  I want government to stand up for ALL of its citizens but not to encroach on our personal lives. 
So how do you describe Diggaduh?  According to the Pew Research Center I am a Post Modern.  In summary it means:
·         I believe in the law of unintended consequences but also believe that shouldn’t stop progress.
·         I generally support government, though more conservative on race policies and the safety net
  • I strongly support regulation and environmental protection
  • I believe Wall Street helps the economy but has lost its way over the last 20 years as it abandoned its real purpose
  • I am very liberal on social issues, including same-sex marriage
  • I have no interest in anyone else’s religious beliefs
  • I support the use of diplomacy rather than force
  • I believe in debating the issue and not attacking the individual
So don’t hate me or cast me into exile.  I am the middle and I occupy my office.
Oh, and I will be voting President Obama in 2012. 

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