Thursday, December 29, 2011

Open Letter To Iowa Centrists: Rise Up And Be Heard on January 3rd!

On January 3rd, Iowa’s 1,784 precincts will gather together to hear from supporters of the Republican Presidential candidates, and then vote their preference. The Democrats will gather to caucus, as well. Iowa’s Centrists - Republicans and Democrats both - these caucuses offer you 3,568 opportunities to rise up and be heard! 
The “middle majority” has listened patiently to the loud, self-centered, and over-invested voices of the far right and the far left. They have achieved both great fame and power in our time and are jointly - equally - responsible for the dark place America finds itself in today. 
Both fringes’ stands are hardened and intractable. If the far left and far right continue to have their way, the American political landscape will necessarily become darker still. Neither side will share power unless forced to do so through the court of public opinion and at the voting booth. They do not want you, America’s middle, to rise up and be heard, but rather rely on your continued silence and indifference.
We must fight back to have good government once again. We need to overwhelm the fringes by November, beginning today. The fight must be launched from the middle, outward. Iowa’s Centrists, we look to you to begin to alter this dark political landscape to bring back progress to America. We must protest for bipartisanship, and governing from the center. That is what our families and our financial markets seek.  Good government led from the center will reduce market uncertainty and increase consumer and business confidence. Greater confidence in ourselves, our institutions and our markets will result in sustained private sector growth and expansion, new jobs, and an improved housing market, leading to increased revenue for a smaller, more streamlined government. 
The fringes will continue to fight for their issues on their terms for as long as we will allow them, keeping progress from our reach and assuring a splintered center devoid of form or purpose.  The usually silent middle majority - those who see themselves somewhat left or right of center and away from either fringe - needs to muster the courage to speak plainly. Iowa’s silent middle, have you not been spoken to plainly by the fringes for years now, listening silently while observing their selfish stands and faulty logic? Can you now speak your mind  just as plainly, at this time when your country needs you most?
What might you say? Perhaps the following can help you begin to collect your thoughts. Feel free to take whatever you wish, with no need to name its source...
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3,568 Opportunities To Speak Out In Iowa on January 3, 2012. 
Thoughts For My Speech; Thoughts For All Americans.
“Today, January 3rd, the eyes of the nation do not look to Washington D.C. or New York, or Boston. They do not look to Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, or Los Angeles. Today, the eyes of the nation and the world are upon us. They look to Dubuque, to Des Moines and to Sioux City. They look to our small communities, to our universities, our businesses and our churches. They look to the citizens of Iowa, hoping for a signal. ‘In what direction might this great country go,’ they are asking themselves. I wonder what our answer will be.
“America needs to come back to Center.  The fringes - both on the left and on the right - have created gridlock and have failed to lead or to govern responsibly. The debt ceiling debacle of 2011 was a perfect case in point of the failure of what has surely  become “fringe rule” on both sides. Consumer confidence has hovered near rock-bottom for years now, longer even than the current President has been in office. Debt continues to mount. No progress is being made, on any front, for anyone. I am hear to speak plainly. I blame both sides, and equally so! 
“Yes, the silent middle majority has been overwhelmed by the boisterous rabble of the fringe. Many are simply self-interested, over-invested, and drunk with power. And, they are not particularly interested in us, average Iowans, or our well being. It is clear that history will not speak well of this time. Civility is dead. Self-interest now rules. The system is broken. Our America has entered a dark period in her history. She surely calls upon reasonable citizens like me to rise up, and to be heard.
“If you cast your vote to a fringe candidate, defined as one who sees bipartisanship as weakness, who chooses gridlock over compromise, and who willingly undermines the spirit of our legislative processes to suit their selfish ends, you will help bring this party to defeat in November. For the American people have grown tired of the arrogance, failures and futility brought through fringe rule. The Center will rise during 2012. This middle majority will determine the winner of the 2012 Presidential election, and the winner will govern from the middle, not from the left or the right fringe. 
“Who am I? What is a Centrist American? Let me help you understand much of the thinking of America’s middle majority:
We understand that single-issue litmus testing is often the weapon of the self-interested, the often over-invested. We see a bigger picture. We connect things. Broad, not linear thinking, is essential in good governing. 

We do not fear the future. We learn from the past but do not yearn for it. Instead, we are inspired by the promise of tomorrow.

We understand that moving to a better tomorrow requires compromise during the process. That way, more can participate in building that better tomorrow. (If you do not believe in compromise, you are plainly not counted among us.)

We want debate, not to win, but rather to find best ideas and solutions, often formed through spirited conversations that inter-mingle issues and ideas from many sides, that when brought together, create better solutions.

We do not serve to glorify ourselves, our name, our family, our business, or our own personal legacy. We serve our country, all its citizens, and respect its institutions.

We support candidates based on their demonstrated good character, and rational, collaborative approaches to solving society’s greatest issues. Such rational approaches must include effective listening and even compromise during debate. Inability to compromise stalls forward movement, harming all, the antithesis of good governing.

We dare to envision a profoundly different and better world for all. We believe that great change can occur. Great changes have occurred throughout time. We seek to bring about great change in this, our time; not to stand still or step backward.

We believe America to be that greatest beacon of liberty, of human rights, of cooperative government and goodness. 

All people, regardless of country, color or creed, want these things of which America is so proud - freedom, liberty, opportunity, hope. America’s promise has made it harder and harder for the cruel, the ruthless, the narcissists, the treacherous, to rule. The Soviet bloc is long dead. The Great Spring is upon the Middle East. The days of the ruthless are numbered. Our beacon of liberty and goodness must continue to brightly shine to show the way for all nations.

We understand that change is constant. Our world, our institutions, our thinking, must evolve - in positive, not radical, or reactionary - ways. The voices of reason must be loudest of all. These voices must lead change. 
“My instinct is that the majority of Iowa’s citizens do believe in many of these things, and my hope is that you vote for the candidate who most espouses these views, both on January 3rd, and again in November. The future of your country depends upon it. Help force collaboration and bipartisanship to Washington, D.C., replacing gridlock, bitterness and distrust. Centrists among us, stand up now and be heard!” 
For more information, go to www.americancentrist.us. Download “Urgent Call” at the web site, or email us for your own printed copy. Register and stay updated at http://TheCenterIsNotTheProblem.blogspot.com. Follow this movement on Twitter @CentristsUnite.