13 Things That Define the New American Center - It is bigger than you think

[FarCenter]

An exclusive Esquire-NBC News survey shows us that everything we are told about politics in America today—that there is no middle ground between left and right, blue and red, us and them—is wrong. The data, compiled by the Benenson Strategy Group (pollster for Obama for America '08 and '12) and Neil Newhouse of Public Opinion Strategies (lead pollster for Romney for President), show us there is a large group of American voters—even a majority—who make up a New American Center that is passionate, persuadable, and very real. They are merely waiting for Washington to find them.

1. THE CENTER IS FILLED WITH PEOPLE WHO DO NOT CONSIDER THEMSELVES THE CENTER.

2. THE CENTER IS PRETTY WHITE. NOT AS WHITE AS THE FOLKS ALL THE WAY TO THE RIGHT, BUT STILL: PRETTY WHITE. AND THEY DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANY TALK OF "DIVERSITY."

3. THE CENTER DOESN'T MUCH LIKE HOW THINGS ARE GOING.

4. THE CENTER TRUSTS DEMOCRATS (AND OPRAH) MORE THAN REPUBLICANS.

5. PLEASE DON'T TALK TO THE CENTER ABOUT GOD AND GUNS.

6. THE CENTER BELIEVES THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD HELP ONLY THOSE WHO REALLY NEED HELP.

7. …BUT THE CENTER WOULD REALLY PREFER THAT THE GOVERNMENT LEAVE THE REST OF US ALONE.

8. THE CENTER HAS HAD IT WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD.

9. THE CENTER WANTS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO SPEND LESS, GO EASY ON REGULATION.

10. THE CENTER IS PRETTY OKAY WITH RAISING TAXES ON THE RICH AND ON POLLUTERS.

11. DRILL, KILL, AND STOP COMPLAINING: THE CENTER IS NOT SOFT.

12. THE CENTER NEEDS A DRINK—PROBABLY A BEER. AND THEY RECYCLE!

13. THE CENTER IS UP FOR GRABS.

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/new-american-center-1113

Pretty much spot on.

[djean111]

1. I am decidely not in The Center. But I knew that. :-)

[Bluenorthwest]

2. The description sounds exactly like the Right Wing to me.

Opposed to diversity? That's far right wing bigotry, period.

[FarCenter]

3. That's based on the center being generally opposed to affirmative action

The left supports affirmative action, but the left is 47% African American. See the topic at the link.

[Bluenorthwest]

4. Uh no. The OP says 'THEY DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANY TALK OF "DIVERSITY."

In all caps and everything. Diversity is about far more than white people and black people, but you know that.

[leftstreet]

5. The survey questions are stupid

How they arrived at their conclusions is beyond me

[FarCenter]

6. The methodology is straightforward

Did you take the test?

The test has N questions. You take each individuals answers to the N questions and plot them in N-dimensional space. Then you use a clustering algorithm to group the individuals into 8 groups such that you minimize the sum of the distances of the individuals from the center of each group.

Once you have the groups, then you look at how each group responded to the individual questions to get an idea of their major characteristics.

[leftstreet]

8. Methodology fine. Questions stupid

Why not ask 'which color of pet bed is better: green or blue?' then extrapolate from there

[Blaukraut]

7. Sounds more like the Republican party pre-evangelicals and teabaggers n/t

[NickB79]

9. If that's the future of the US politically

We're well and truly fucked.

As in, stick a fork in us, we're done.

[Enthusiast]

10. The center believes a lot of stupid shit

because they have been so thoroughly propagandized by the right wing extremists that have a huge voice in the media. NPR isn't even liberal now.