What Would a Centrist Platform Look Like?

I figured I'd find out.

So here, we've rounded up half a dozen party outcasts - Tim Roemer, Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Ben Nelson, Joe Lieberman, and Arlen Specter. Their worldviews have astounding similarities - strong support for tax cuts, health coverage, free trade, capital punishment, and military spending - among other general agreements.

On The Issues is a generally reliable source of information, although their dichotomy is a little faulty. My previous "mass project" had more thorough analysis on political philosophies. In any event, I took into account all the major positions of the Selected Six, and used the dominant outcome to determine the "party line."

In taking the PoliticsMatch Quiz, I answered according to the platform. The results were interesting. Here is the graph of the party line.

Strikingly similar to our last Republican-led Congress: favorable to tax cuts, but otherwise heavy on spending and government, socially moderate, and pro-military. Overall, aligned with the majority of Americans.


Click on the pictures to enlarge.

Personal Issues:

Favorable to:

• Sexual Orientation Protected by Civil Rights Law
• School Prayer
• Capital Punishment
• "Three Strikes" Sentencing Laws
• Anti-drug Legislation
• Allowing Churches to Provide Welfare Services
• Educational Choice

Opposed to:

• Abortion as a Woman's Right
• Absolute Right to Gun Ownership

Economic Issues:

Favorable to:

• Affirmative Action
• More Federal Health Coverage
• Privatized Social Security
• Reducing Use of Coal and Oil
• Tax Cuts
• Immigration
• Expanding Free Trade

Opposed to:

• Non-Applicable

Military Issues

Favorable to:

• More Spending On Armed Forces

Opposed to:

• Seeking UN Approval for Military Action