Blame America's far right and the far left equally for where America finds itself today. Here’s how the American Center can profoundly influence the outcome of the 2012 elections and, with some certainty, restore bipartisanship and progress.
1. America’s Centrists must now flex our collective political muscle. Fledgling movements (like this one) are rising to provide purpose, form, function, and a meeting place for this largest of American voting blocks. Most helpful would be for major polling organizations in partnership with responsible media to determine both the size and level of anger of this real American majority.
2. Centrists – we Americans who park ourselves somewhat left of center, or somewhat right, and who disavow the fringe for its narrowness, its selfishness and bullying behavior, must express our outrage to our elected representatives, party officials and our friends. Doing so in large numbers will profoundly alter the debate during the election year.
3. This bloc must break new ground by convening a Blue Ribbon Panel of respected citizens who are proven centrists, great men and women from public service, business, academia, and Main Street. This panel should diligently explore the great issues of our time with each candidate in a very public forum, sans media, drilling the candidates (and uncovering their follies) on effective governance, real debt solutions, climate change and energy policy, the future role of the military, how to create a resurgence of American generosity as government must do less with less, and so on. The panel will obtain candidate commitments on these important issues, and, in October 2012, recommend to its dominant bloc who we should put our full support behind, and why.
In this way, The Many, not The Few, will determine who occupies the most important position in the world, and strongly influence how he will govern. Regardless of who wins, the future is likely to be brighter. Long forgotten concepts like bipartisanship, a loyal opposition, and progress for the “100 percent” will be resurrected, regardless of whether fringe elements want it or not. The fringe will go back to being just that. Wall Street might just experience a sustained bull market, owing it to a path well laid-out, risk reduced, systemic dysfunctions confronted and conquered. Companies will invest in new plants, equipment, and new jobs.
But, here’s the rub: it will take millions of Americans to form this third and last movement (from the Tea Party, to the Occupiers, to the Centrist Majority). I call upon these Americans to Rise Up And Be Heard! There are many ways that you can (and must) help. Go to page 19-20 of Rise Up And Be Heard to see how many you can do. Thank you.
