For me anyway, the shock at centrists pushing for something actually useful isn't a function of centrist ideologies being incompatible w/ good things. It's from prominent examples of "centrists" being cynical opportunists who strenuously avoid doing useful things (Sinema, Manchin, Fetterman, etc)
MG-P is doing this because she desperately wants to get out of the democratic party and run under the banner of a new centrist/no-labels/whatever party.
the eventual payoff here is either they win elections and caucus w/republicans or at the very least dilute the dems ala Labour's 70s split that gave the UK 16 years of Tory rule.
If she were interested in caucusing with Republicans she could just… run as a moderate Republican? If reforms were passed to make it easier for candidates like her to win then it wouldn’t be as easy for crazy republicans to get in control.
i don't even know what a moderate republican is anymore but much as i dislike her, she doesn't quite fit in that box either - she just strikes me as someone who, if she had a choice, would rather not be a dem.
Yeah not trying to put words in your mouth but I think you may feel her distaste with the Democratic Party as an institution and not necessarily the majority of its policies. Which I am kinda on board with.
I think Sinema, Manchin, and Fetterman are all very different ideologically. Sinema is basically a caricature of a “centrist” whereas Manchin and Fetterman are just ideological in ways that make sense for the states they come from. I do think the House has better “moderates” though.
I would reframe that to say that each is "ideological" in ways that make sense for their own narcissism and personal aspirations. Hence the surprise at seeing centrists act ostensibly on conceptions of the broader good
I think this maybe overstates the case against Manchin in particular. He came from a blood red state and supported a ton of appointments and policy weeeeell to the left of what the electorate that voted for him would be comfortable with. I take his objections as more sincere for that reason.
Making decisions by incorporating multiple good faith arguments is a great way to lead. Mod Dems just seem to accept bad faith conservative arguments into their decision too easy. Which is weird when there are good faith conservative arguments to be listened to.
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