Vivian Paige has great coverage of Mark Warner’s kickoff in Norfolk. Funny how the “radical centrist” didn’t have any Republican elected officials speaking for him….just gobs of local Democrats. Real centrist of ya, Mark!
Just a lot of talk we shouldn’t take seriously….again.
The right wants to jeer him. The left wants to censor him. Moderates usually want both. Brian Kirwin is a political consultant and public relations strategist in Virginia Beach with a lightning-rod flair. Brian also serves on the VB Arts & Humanities Commission and frequently appears on Hampton Roads theatrical stages, if only to prove that all actors aren’t liberals. Kirwin’s columns stir up debate and hit the political scene with no punches pulled. 
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Intersting yardstick you’ve constructed. Apparently it takes a Republican attending a candidate’s Democratic party kick-off event to prove he or she is a centrist…?
I’m sure Gov. Warner will really miss your non-centrist vote when he wins in November.
Funny. The right wing thinks I’m a RINO, and you think I’m a hardline rightwinger.
I put deeds ahead of words, Ragmuffin.
Mark’s words “I won’t raise taxes”
Mark’s deeds “Largest tax increase in Virginia”
Mark’s words “I’m a centrist”
Mark’s deeds “For Republicans, there’s no room at the inn.”
Actually, I did mention that there were Republicans in attendance. And I have no idea of the political affiliation of the two Admirals who spoke.
Notice the words “elected officials” and “speaking”
Brian, I don’t think yout beliefs are right, left or center. You are a die-hard Republican in the most narrow sense. You don’t have a policital ethos or any political beliefs other than loyalty to the party and opposition to any organization that stands against the party.
You don’t care about truth, and you have never demonstrated any affection for anything other than spin and party. You make Lenin, Karl Rove, and Bill Clinton proud: Party first, everything else second.
Ragnar-
You’re entitled to your opinion, but I find your comment to be a bit over-the-top and far too personal.
I’d appreciate it if both you and Brian would raise the level of discourse and not attack each other.
There is an interesting thread here…one which I do agree with. If Mark Warner is such a “radical centrist”, what policies of the Democratic party does he disagree with? What policies of the Republican party does he agree with? What are his conservative credentials? Which Republican leaders does he respect and agrees with?
If he’s such a “radical centrist”, then he must have some conservative leanings. If not, he’s just another liberal. Which is fine, but disengenuous.
J.R.,
I believe that Mark Warner’s appeal to the center is proven by his overwhelming positive opinion polling – that large a majority is not won without moderates having a favorable opinion.
However you make some valid points in support of your arguments. Very, very valid points.
But you backslide on the “What are his conservative credentials?” question. He’d shoot himself in the foot as a centrist with hardcore conservative support or documentation.
My self described moderate/centrist opinion is that the Republican Party was unwilling/incapable of compromising when we made them the majority. Any displayed willingness to compromise was punished by the Republican leadership. Ever heard of the term RINO?
Jim – the first real discussion that needs to happen is to answer the question: “what does it mean to be a conservative” and does being a conservative still have anything to do with the GOP? Clearly, the conservative, libertarian, small, limited government ideals, and ideals of fiscal responsibility of years past are not present in the current Republican party.
What I’m getting at is that if we are talking about left, right and center, and Mark Warner’s desire to be in the center, what does that have to do with political party? The GOP never has, and clearly does not now have a lock on the political right. Ergo, Warner’s campaign may have had countless people in the center and right on the political spectrum at his event, even speaking on the stage, even including Mr. Warner and he would be appropriately representing himself with a centrist position even if every single person there was a card-carrying member of the Democratic party.
With some individuals party becomes ideology without any underlying meaning along the political spectrum. The two, party and political beliefs are severable, one is belief and the other means to execute those beliefs. The frightening thing for the future of our country is when people believe, as many think now, that membership in a political party can serve as an adequate stereotype for another individual’s thoughts and beliefs on the political spectrum.
Translation, if there’s no meaning to “Republican” or “Democrat”, there’s no meaning to “centrist” either.
Brian Kirwin
Yeah, it’s hard to define a centrist. But it is not too hard to define either a right wing or left wing extremist. Centrist is difficult. But defining the extremes ain’t that big a problem.
Ragnar,
I don’t disagree. But certainly, if you are a centrist, there must be one conservative idea you believe in. I’d like to know, in the case of M. Warner, what those ideas are. So far, in both his time as governor and running for senate, I haven’t seen it.
Broadbased appeal does not make him a centrist. It just means he’s popular. Lots of personalities can be popular, but not have centrist values.