About The New Moderate
Founded A.D. 2007 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Founder, Editor & Chief Author: Rick Bayan.
I’ve created The New Moderate as a community for centrist thinkers who are fed up with extremist dogma… fed up with feeling excluded from the national debates on politics, culture and religion… fed up with being fed up! In other words, I’ve created The New Moderate as a community for people like us.
Moderate, not timid.
We moderates have an image problem. We get no respect from the right or the left. For too long, we’ve been dismissed as gutless, dithering intellectual herbivores who lack the courage to take a stand.
Our answer: we stand in the middle, we stand tall, and we’re immoderate in our passion for moderation. The New Moderate will prove that our ideas are fresher, bolder, more sound and more just than the attention-getting ideologies of right and left.
Why call it The NEW Moderate?
We moderates have traditionally been a reticent bunch, too mild-mannered and apathetic to jump into the political fray. Our nuanced ideas haven’t attracted zealots, for better or worse. That’s why we have no magazines to call our own. That’s why today’s moderate blogs tend to languish in obscurity. The result: leftists and conservatives push their agendas across at our expense… and at the expense of society as a whole.
We aim to change all that. Our goal is nothing less than to create a dynamic new moderate movement, energized with forcefully expressed ideas, passion and commitment. With your participation, The New Moderate will become a vibrant community that can make its voice heard above the din of dueling left-wingers and right-wingers.
Read the whole story here.
THE NEW MODERATE 
Hi Rick! I have an award for your blog. It’s at http://beatniksbeatonlife.blogspot.com/2009/08/im-lovely-blogger.html
Thank you, my friend. I have to head out the door for my vacation, but I’ll definitely look it up when I return. I’ll finally check out your blog while I’m at it, too!
Rick, I like the ideas expressed here. I see some opportunity for growth and the creation of a new party but it needs to be developed along the lines of clear thought, tolerance, and belief in the idea of freedom of expression. Freedom of expression is maintained by tolerance not with violent rhetorical retribution “Militant” as shown in many websites today.
I believe in the power of the “Mantra” such as the one developed and displayed by Conservatives for Trump, “Make America Great Again”. A mantra needs to be developed that can be used by “all” contributors that expresses discontent at a “violent reference” vs. the moderate “contemplation” of an idea. Something like: “Make America Great.”
A stick is easily broken in the middle. Always, the Moderate should embolden contribution but “demand” moderation and a following of the rules. Only by teaching our children to follow “rules” such as the Constitution of America, and teaching them the power of Voting can we Keep “America Strong”.
I checked out the site, and like it. I’m sure we won’t agree on all, but can’t see much we’d disagree on, I think. As I’m what I’d call a militant moderate, I’d say I fit into your category. I’ll add you to my blogroll. Good stuff.
For political parties (read other parts of your blog) you may want to look at MPRI (Moderate Party of Rhode Island)– for those in RI. I’ve followed their jumping through hurdles to get party status in that state.
‘elf
LOUDelf: Thanks for the friendly gesture; we need more “militant moderates” like you. I’ll give you a reciprocal link, and I’ll look into that R.I. moderate party for inspiration. There’s already a national Centrist Party with its own website (uscentrist.org), but you’d never know it.
Lou…. I think the word “Militant” lends a sense of violence to the idea of a New Moderate who, by design is against military violence –unless absolutely necessary. I say absolutely necessary as I voted for George bush during the “Twin Towers” incident but for a democratic House and Senate. New Moderates should be United and strong and powered by “Words”, not sticks, face masks and flame throwers. 🙂
Rick,
I’m so glad to have found your “New Moderate” blog. Over the last several weeks, I’ve thought about the idea of “energized moderates”–that is, folks that recognize the value of solving problems and getting things done for the greater good. Please count me in. As some of my ideas crystallize, I would like to share them with you and anyone else who’s interested in restoring a sense of balance, civility, and practicality to our political system.
dj
Glad to have you on our side, Dave. America’s moderates need all the energy they can get, and I think we can energize them. “Balance” is probably the most critical word in the moderate lexicon; it’s not that we take the middle position on every issue… it’s that we want to restore balance when we feel the boat tipping to one side or the other.
I hope you’ll be a regular visitor, and I look forward to reading your comments.
Rick,
After a long period of reflection I’ve decided to stop reading the New Moderate. I’m informing you as a means of providing some perspective and in the hope it prompts a similar period of reflection for you as well.
I can’t summarize my political philosophy like you or many of the posters on the blog here–I can only say that I want government and civic society to be civil, effective, and continually improving the greater good. Discussions and heated discussions are a part of that to be sure, but I feel that this blog is so focused on explaining/complaining that articulating stances, policies, much less actions are not even being contemplated.
Further, the recitations from each of the perspectives and corners is just… draining. First, the lack of listening and lack of acknowledgement or validation of either side mirrors the larger rucus going on in our society. For me, we need to be coming together not trying to score points about how one side or the other is bad/evil or whatever.
Lastly, and most troubling, is the lack of awareness or ability to “walk a mile in the other guys’ shoes”–particularly with race. As a white guy who has tried to treat everyone fairly in my personal life, and who hasn’t experienced much racism directly and openly, the last couple of months have opened my eyes. Are we living in a country of evil people looking to suppress minorities? No. Are we living in a society that truly treats people as people and not as members of one race or another? And specifically, are African Americans treated the same as I am when it comes to shopping, getting a job, getting a mortgage, or interacting with the police? I don’t think so. Yet I think you and many of the people posting on these topics fail to even acknowledge this (one recently said there is NO systemic racism in this country–really?). I’m truly troubled that we, as a people, cannot at least acknowledge that there is a large segment of our population that feel discriminated against. We can either say it is mass hysteria, some general deficiency or problem or THEIR part, or perhaps….perhaps it is in fact “us” who have, unwittingly, helped contribute to that discrimination and that feeling in some way. I am personally comfortable (not the right word, but all I got) with the idea that I’ve helped support a system that discriminates against certain people. That doesn’t make me evil, it makes me complicit in something wrong–I’m going to do something about it.
So that’s where I’m going to go. I’m going to work on trying to make racism (even the subtle, passive, systemic kind) a little less present in our society. I’m not sure exactly how I’m going to do that, but it is sure not going to come from reading this blog or arguing with its readership.
Regards,
Dave
Your place is here and now. I encourage you to step up and speak out against the extremes – because the extremes of either side do not realize they are extremes.
We need your moderating voice – louder.
Best Regards,
Luke Pickett
Stratham, NH
Thanks, Luke. I like to think I have a “loud” voice, though I’m having trouble reaching the opinion makers in the big media. Still, we have lively discussions here, as you’ll see.
BTW, you’re probably right that the extremists don’t think of themselves as extremists; the lefties think the rest of us are reactionaries, and of course the right-wingers think we’re socialists.
Well, thank goodness.
Mr. Bayan, your blog is a breath of fresh air! The modern political arena is infested with ideologues. So precious few of them are interested in a productive discourse. They only want to hear themselves. Telling people that conservatism and liberalism aren’t fundamentally opposed garners at least one of three reactions: derision, suspicion, or just plain boredom. We moderates aren’t dramatic enough, are we? If we aren’t saying that “right wing racist capitalist pigs are hoarding the world’s wealth” or that “the left wing intellectual elite is destroying American values,” well then we’re just SNORES!
I’ll remain dutifully apprised of your writings. My appreciation for you endeavor is boundless.
Thank you. Thank you VERY much.
Yours,
Reuben Smith (aka sicklygreyfoot)
sicklygreyfoot: Enjoyed your remarks, which also happened to be the 1,000th comment posted here at The New Moderate. (I should offer you some sort of prize, but I’m afraid my writing will have to do.)
Yes, we moderates have our work cut out for us. We don’t get any respect from the ideologues on either side of the fence, and the truth is that too many moderate politicians and columnists are in fact “snores.” I’m hoping we can generate some excitement here without resorting to the distortions and acrimony typically generated by our friends on the left and right.
Be passionate, not polarizing. Listen more, speak less, and attempt to learn from those you appose. Argue based on thoughtfulness and intellect not dogma. Be willing to step away from the angry mobs on either end of our political spectrum and become a voice of reason. As Americans, there is more that connects us than separates us. Lets figure out how to return the country to the moderate majority rather than the militant minority.
Thanks for giving us zealous moderates a voice.
My pleasure, David. You have the right idea: we need to stop the polarization and remind Americans that we’re all the same nationality. (I honestly believe that most extremists give their primary loyalty to whatever faction they belong to.) Sometimes we have to confront the extremists, but I’m with you when it comes to bridging the great divide with commonsense solutions.
Hi Rick,
I’ve enjoyed reading your blog. I used to be pretty apolitical, but like you and many of your readers, I’ve gotten fed up with the influence of special interests and ideological extremists on the American political system. I’ve started to put a few ideas together in a podcast; I think the regular readers of this blog may have an interest in this. If so, please have a look at http://www.americanknucklehead.com/.
Regards,
Joe Knucklehead
Hi Rick – I’m glad I found you here at The New Moderate. I first found you couple weeks ago at your old blog site The Cynic’s Sanctuary, which I did find there 🙂 Keep it up!
Regards, Mark K
Ah, a moderate and a cynic! Sometimes I think the one leads to the other. Glad you’ve found us here, Mark!
Hi Rick! I hope you are still monitoring this site. The last entry was 9/2011. I stumbled on your site while trying to find a reference to my book, The Overviewer, anywhere on Google and Amazon (with no success!) I am so glad that you started this site! I believe in ‘moderation’ so much that I devoted a full chapter to it (“All Things in Moderation”) in my book. It looks like we think very much alike and that we both realize that for compromise to take place in politics, moderates have to be behind it. Extremists (Liberals and Conservatives) are so far apart that it is impossible for them to compromise and we saw a perfect example of that when they tried (and failed!) to cut even a measly sum in spending! Give me a holler (by email) if you read this. I am only in South Jersey, 40 minutes outside of Philly. Regards, Wayne
Hi Wayne… My last comment on this page dates from 9/2011, but check the home page. I’ve been averaging a new column every 10 days or so, and my last one (a summer rerun) was just a few days ago. We have a lively group of readers here (not all of them moderate) and our heated debates on each of my columns are something to behold. Hope you’ll join us!
Is the new moderate only online? Delighted to find something like this. I’m forever railing against partisanship. Ideologues don’t see their error in attacking enemies instead of presenting solutions.neither fugelsang or Coulter would admit to being guilty of the same intransigence, yet the election its to be determined by independents. How validating for us.
Hi Frank, and welcome. Yes, The New Moderate is strictly an online blog — no “dead tree” edition is available. Glad you feel at home here. I invite you to take part in our ongoing debates — we could use a bona fide moderate like you in our comments section as we battle the libertarian faction that seems to dominate the dialogue.
You’re right that independents (including moderates, of course) will determine the outcome of this election. That’s why Romney was practically agreeing with Obama on foreign policy during the final debate; everyone covets those moderate votes.
Hello New Moderate! Thank you for the email but I must confess that I am a bit confused. What posts of mine are you referring to or is this just a ‘form’ email to try to interest more people to participate (which is fine)?
Date: Fri, 5 Jul 2013 05:36:22 +0000 To: overviewer1@hotmail.com
Hmm, I’m confused, too, because I didn’t send out an e-mail. I wonder if some hacker has commandeered my account. I get deluged by spammers on a regular basis, so I wouldn’t be surprised. Anyway, glad you’ve found us… even if The New Moderate is currently on hiatus. Stay tuned…
Just now discovering your blog and will pass it on to my other frustrated moderate friends. Had some good laughs at the expense of both sides. Thank You!
For such a “wise man”… not a lot of people seem to be listening to what you have to say… but there you go…
This website is great. I have always been a moderate and I hate partisans. There too biased and one sided. I see a true moderate as somebody who see’s the shades of grey. Somebody who is in touch with the facts and reality and not pushing dogma. America has become too polarized. I think this came about due to the realignment the two major parties had in the 60’s and 70’s. On the left side you had the radical “New Left” rise up in the 60’s and they infiltrated some of the Democratic Party. On the right side you had all the white southern segregationists, who were nearly all Democrats, start to flee the Democratic Party after the 64′ Civil Rights Act was passed and they brought there extremism to the Republican Party. Basically both parties got pushed away from the center by more extreme elements.
Has anybody ever heard of the “golden mean?”
In philosophy, especially that of Aristotle, the golden mean is the desirable middle between two extremes, one of excess and the other of deficiency. For example, in the Aristotelian view, courage is a virtue, but if taken to excess would manifest as recklessness, and is as deficient as cowardice.
The New Moderate best represents the golden mean in politics.
Rick, you and your followers (of which I am one) must read my book, The Overviewer. With chapters like, “All Things in Moderation”, “Egoism” and “The Plight of the Baby Boomers (The Pendulum is the pits!)”, it is squarely up your ally! I would like to send you (Rick) a gratuitous copy but I cannot do that for everybody. If you are interested, though, I would be glad to discount the retail price of $13.95 by 25% ($10.47). Just leave me a message on my website, http://www.TheOverviewer.com. Please let me know where to send it Rick using my email address where I receive The New Moderate news letter. I hope you accept as I am anxious to dialogue with you some day. Wayne O.
Rick I have been looking at your site and few issues that are not addressed or I can’t seem to find are Taxes, Social Security and Medicare and our Military.
Is this group still around? We need you more than ever!
I’m still trying to figure this out. I have always tried to figure out whether I was a Moderate Republican or a Blue Dog Democrat. It seems like no one calls themselves either of these titles today. I haven’t voted a straight party ticket in a while. I didn’t vote for either Obama or Trump.
So, when I figure out what this blog really stands for, I will be back to judge whether I should sign up or just put this in a category of another person who is trying to start a movement of nothingness…
I think the word “Militant” lends a sense of violence to the idea of a New Moderate who, by design is against military violence –unless absolutely necessary. I say absolutely necessary as I voted for George bush during the “Twin Towers” incident but for a democratic House and Senate. New Moderates should be United and strong and powered by “Words”, not sticks, face masks and flame throwers.