When you say "centrist", what are you talking about the centre *of*?

[Donald Ian Rankin]

"Centrist" is a much-used and much-disputed term in American politics.

Arguing that words should be defined from their etymology is a mug's game (c.f. decimae, anti-semite, glamour), but in this case I think it's probably reasonable, because most people talking about a "centrist" do have an least half an idea that they're talking about someone whose political views are in the centre of something.

What do *you* mean someone is in the centre of when you call them a centrist?

And, for bonus points, are you thinking of a mean or a median, or some other sense of the word "centre"?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. In the Democratic party it's the other word for "conservative".

[Donald Ian Rankin]

2. Well, yes.

In a two-party system, it stands to reason that the right wing of the left party and the left wing of the right party will be referred to as "centrists".

[11 Bravo]

6. Except in this case, there is no left wing of the right-leaning party. A centrist Republican ...

would be a creature drifting in that amorphous area somewhere between The Aryan Nation and Free Republic.

[Iggo]

3. Right Winger.

[dchill]

4. I have never been able to look at centrism as anything.…

but an insincere attempt to be half reasonable and half batshit insane, usually in an attempt to gain or justify wealth accumulation. I do not think centrism is a legitimate or real thing.

[quinnox]

5. On Du, I usually see the centrist label being claimed by those that often seem to

deride progressives and liberals.

[Zorra]

7. When I say centrist Democrat, I mean an authoritarian advocate for a kinder, gentler,

corporate state dictatorship of the 1% than the complete authoritarian-austerity dictatorship of the 1% that republicans desire.

Someone who generally supports some compassionate social policies, but whose main political focus is supporting and promoting the MIC and the continuation and expansion of rigid control of populations and governments by wealthy free market 1% capitalists.

[PowerToThePeople]

11. this is a good answer

Regulate the injustices to lessen the effects. It is an impossible task. Injustice will win out if you play nice with it.

[Egalitarian Thug]

13. Exactly. The Big 'D' Authoritarian would prefer to keep the proles alive, as long as it doesn't

cost too much or inconvenience their plans. The newly minted "independent" former republicans don't care at all, and the crazy-right wants to kill as many as possible to hasten their apocalypse.

[Jamaal510]

8. Centrist generally refers to

someone who is either at the center of the political spectrum, or someone leaning either right or left, but not on either fringe. Whenever I hear people use the word "centrist", though, it is almost always used as a pejorative. In contrast, the word "moderate" refers to the same thing, but it is generally used in a more positive light.

[ZombieHorde]

9. I don't usually use the term because I am not sure what it refers to.

Even liberal and conservative can be very difficult to pin down. For example, some people think the ACA is extreme Marxism, while some think it is conservative. Sometimes I just think in the US liberal means you hate Republicans and conservative means you hate Democrats.

[Rowdyboy]

10. Centrist here in Mississippi would be Trent Lott. In America it would be Joe Biden

On DU it would be Dennis Kucinich.

The term means whatever you think it does.

[dembotoz]

12. /\/\/\/\ yes/\/\/\/\