The dreaded 'M' word

Political labels get more attention than they deserve. Liberals once liked being called "liberal" - but that label is a bit frayed, so they now prefer to be called "progressive." That's fine, although I don't think either term accurately characterizes their philosophy.

If you really want to dis someone, call him or her "moderate." One of Newt Gingrich's more effective shots at Mitt Romney in this primary season has been the "Massachusetts Moderate" label, and Romney has been struggling to convince voters that it's just not true.

But I don't see what is so distasteful about being moderate in viewpoint or philosophy. Most analysts agree that our nation is essentially center-right in political orientation - the adjective "moderate" seems to fit that slot. We know as well that today's key electoral faction is the political "independent," that more voters than ever identify themselves as such, and that both Democrat and Republican ranks are shrinking.

Moreover, it's important that as a nation we remain faithful to the fundamental spirit of representative government. In the first two years of the Obama administration, with Democrats in ironclad control of both houses of Congress, Republicans could have just stayed home - they had zero influence and afforded zero representation to the nearly one-half of the electorate who put them into office. That's not what the founding fathers had in mind.

I suspect the problem is that most people equate "moderate" with "wishy-washy,", "waffling" "weak" (all the 'W' words). But it doesn't have to be that way. A better perspective is that most of the tough issues of our time have two sides - otherwise they just wouldn't be very tough - and responsible leadership ought to examine the whole picture before locking on to a position.

My hobby is photography. One of the techniques I've learned over the years is whenever possible to walk completely around the subject before setting up a shot - it is amazing how different vantage points and illumination change the picture.

Make no mistake - I tilt strongly to the right (some friends say slightly to the right of Attila the Hun) on most matters. But I don't like being painted into the corner of being expected to embrace the full measure of official conservative positions on all issues. And I've never understood why positions on issues have to be pre-packaged and assigned to one side or the other. Conservatives want to protect the environment, we want social justice, we want high employment - we just see different ways of getting there.

Take universal health care as an example. I for one accept the premise that as a nation we can and should make affordable health care available to all of our citizens. I've written several columns to that effect and I think at least some conservatives, and perhaps many, would agree. No, we don't want to throw poor people out in the cold.

On the other hand, like nearly all conservatives, I recognize that the Affordable Health Care for America Act (aka ObamaCare) is a sham - it will produce neither affordable nor effective health care, it is probably unconstitutional and I will vote for the presidential candidate I feel is most likely to rid us of whatever's left of it after the Supreme Court is finished. We can then replace it with a health care process that allows free enterprise to work, that permits state-to-state portability of health plans, that allows health savings accounts, that keeps government out of the price controls fantasy, and that gives people the flexibility to decide what level of care they want to buy. That's a path to universally affordable health care, and I'd go so far as to call it a winning, moderate position.

Personally, I don't care about the label. I want a president who understands the heritage of this great nation and is committed to building on (and not transforming) it, who is open and respectful even to those with whom he disagrees, who is a competent executive and a thoughtful, engaging leader.

And I think that's what the country wants.

I'm not sure we've found that person - we're still looking - but for sure, it is not Barrack Obama.

- Jack DeVine is a retired executive who recently moved back to Aiken.