Ah, the great American political tradition: whenever someone suggests enacting policies that benefit the majority of people, the pundits and politicians clutch their pearls and gasp, “We must move to the center!” Because, you see, nothing says “reasonable governance” like meeting an extremist movement halfway.
Here’s the problem: the right-wing in America has spent decades sprinting so far to the extreme that the so-called “center” now sits somewhere just shy of Ayn Rand’s fever dreams. If we keep moving the goalposts any further, we’ll end up debating whether or not children should be allowed to work in coal mines again (oh wait, some states already are).
Meanwhile, let’s look at what the actual majority of Americans support:
- Universal healthcare? Over 60% of Americans favor a Medicare-for-All system.
- Common-sense gun control? Background checks and assault weapon bans enjoy support from upwards of 80% of voters.
- Raising the minimum wage? Nearly 70% of Americans support a $15 minimum wage—or more.
- Higher taxes on billionaires? A whopping 70% believe the ultra-rich should pay their fair share.
- Protecting Social Security? Over 80% of Americans, including a majority of Republicans, do not want benefits cut.
- Abortion rights? Most Americans believe in a woman’s freedom to choose.
If these policies are so wildly popular, why do we keep hearing that Democrats must “compromise” by watering them down or abandoning them entirely? The answer is simple: the right-wing elite (and their corporate donors) don’t want policies that empower the working and middle class. So, instead, they peddle faux-populist rhetoric—screaming about immigrants, “woke culture,” and trans kids—while handing out tax cuts to billionaires and gutting worker protections.
This isn’t conservatism anymore; it’s fascism with a marketing team. A party that attempts to overthrow elections, bans books, strips bodily autonomy, and scapegoats marginalized groups isn’t one to meet in the middle. And yet, the media and milquetoast centrists still wring their hands about “polarization,” as if one side isn’t actively trying to dismantle democracy.
To be a centrist today is to be complicit. It’s the political equivalent of watching someone set fire to a house and saying, “Now, now, let’s hear both sides.” History will not be kind to the moderates who stood in the middle of the road while democracy got bulldozed.
The people have spoken. They want progressive policies. They want fairness. They want democracy. And they’re tired of being told to compromise with extremists. Moving to the “center” isn’t moderation—it’s cowardice.
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