More on Centrism

I was thinking a little more about that last post on centrist reformer types. I wrote it before South Carolina, and I think it just goes to show how ineffective centrist politics has become.

This has probably occurred to many observers. I just wonder if it's isolated to the Clintons or centrists in general.

In addition to seeming contemptuous of outsiders, the centrists seem to think that people who take their values seriously are naive. They don't know how to win elections and govern. The ends always justify the means, and there are no bounds on means. That's how you win.

But this thinking is flawed as political strategy. Or at least it's unsustainable. People do care about things like authenticity and consistency. This would seem to become particularly important when we're still fighting a war launched on false pretenses and faith in government has reached historic lows.

And centrists use division to win. Both the Clintons and Bush, who could once be considered a centrist, rely heavily on this tactic. But Obama's victory shows that people (at least in South Carolina) are sick of divisive politics and its cynical underpinnings.

So ironically, the things centrists excel at have become a liability. Seeming the least strategic is the best strategy. And the centrists seem too strategic.

Centrists may have things to offer in terms of political vision and policy. But strategic advice, once their strong suit, isn't one of them. Hopefully this point is reinforced by Clinton losing Super Tuesday.