The Radical Middle: Part 2

"It is good to grasp on to one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid all extremes." ~ Ecclesiastes is Chapter 7:18

Last week I wrote about how two political philosophers influenced American history and thinking. Thomas Hobbes believed that most people are basically selfish and incapable of governing themselves, so they need a strong government led by those most fit to lead. John Locke believed that everyone is born a "blank slate" and given the right resources, anyone is capable of making rational decisions, therefore everyone should be able to have an equal input in government. Even our government is designed to reflect these two views.

Congress represents small districts with "common" men and women running every two years. They hold more radical positions on hot-button issues and it's easy for them to pass legislation quickly. Locke would love that kind of direct democracy.

Whereas, the Senators represent entire states, they're generally millionaires, from old wealthy families, or have served for years in other government positions, like the Congress before ascending to the Senate. Things move more slowly there and regardless of which party they're from, they tend to be more cautions and careful, negotiating, deliberating and building consensus before finalizing their decisions. Hobbes would have appreciated that kind of institution.

Like Iowa is stuck in the middle of the country, I've often felt like I was stuck in the middle of Locke and Hobbes' two extremes. Sure I lean to the left a little, some of that is because I loved studying history and I admired Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower, John and Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. I liked their pragmatic, progressive reforms and vision and I liked the positive changes of the civil rights movment. I saw Joseph Macarthy and Richard Nixon as threatening, powerful demagogues.

But I guess I didn't fit the mold of what many post-sixties conservatives think "liberals" should be like. I didn't "hate" America, I'm not an anarchist, I've never used drugs, I believe in God and strong families and tradition and working hard at a 9 to 5 for a decent wage and living in suburbia.

I was frustrated by the Iran-Contra scandal and the trickle-down economics that favored the rich used byt the Reagan administration, so I joined the Young Democrats of America (YDA) in high school. The YDA was so small that to have any activities, the school had us join together with the Teenage Republicans (TAR). What I noticed was that the YDA's president was the "Alex P. Keaton (Micheal J. Fox)" sort of preppie with the tie and briefcase who always read Time and Newsweek. It was the Republican guys who wore black heavy metal band concert t-shirts and had long hair or shaved heads. Maybe they were more interested in the pizza then policy and ideology.

Then in college, I interviewed for a job at a Democratic National Committee (DNC) phone bank- but frankly I was kind of uncomfortable with all of the women who didn't shave their legs and the men who did. I try not to judge people with all kind of piercings and tattoos or anyone who smokes or uses colorful language, but none of those things are me. And like anyone, I can handle hanging out or working with a few people who are different, but it's hard to be the one and only square for too long.

There are two things about Clinton that I appreciated. First is that he was a fiscal conservative. He insisted on a balanced budget and he eventually managed to begin reducing the national debt. The other is that he reached out to Republicans and independents to fill positions and help decide policy- even though some hard-core conservatives hounded him his entire term. No one had been as bipartisan since Abe Lincoln. But yes, I felt angry and betrayed by his philandering and lying.

Now, I know I whine about this a lot, but it drives me crazy to be torn between two worlds. Liberals don't understand how I can be so religious and so into families and small towns. Christians don't understand how I can call myself a Christian and ever vote for any Democrats, let alone be registered to that party. I just wish that Americans could allow themselves to" grasp on to one and not let go of the other."