“Does “centrist” not mean “holding views between those of the popular political positions”?”
roughly.
are you trying to make sure you know what centrists are?
The last part sounds more correct:
“it is your final views being between the common reference points that makes you a centrist”
I’m trying to establish that we’re using the same definition of “centrist”. Because if that’s the case, I don’t see how you could defend centrists. Their views are halfway between reasonable and unthinkable. That’s not a good thing at all.
“I’m trying to establish that we’re using the same definition of “centrist”.”
I don’t hear any questions or establishing statements.
we did kind of cover this in your earlier content.
“I don’t see how you could defend centrists”
I can see how, but I’m not defending centrists here so much as I am opposing mob rule based on disinformation.
“Their views are halfway between reasonable and unthinkable.”
this is a poorly thought out analysis of centrism.
I doubt if you had a list in front of you with yes or no questions on every major policy, you’d find yourself, and most people, a lot closer to the center than you like to imagine.
are you a liberal?
do you support unregulated immigration?
If not, you’re a centrist.
are you a conservative?
do you support right to try medication?
If so, you’re a centrist.
now think of how many policies there are, and how many you agree with the most extreme policy proposals on the left and right.
are you sure you’re smack dab on one end or the other?
if not…
I don’t hear any questions or establishing statements.
Is there a language barrier here?
I asked if you disagreed about a proposed definition. You said no, establishing that you agree with it.
are you a liberal?
do you support unregulated immigration?
If not, you’re a centrist.
are you a conservative?
do you support right to try medication?
If so, you’re a centrist.
One disagreement with a policy does not make you a centrist lol
Given the sheer amount of policies, anyone would disagree with at least one, and that’s assuming there’s even a defined take that each political category has on every possible policy question, which there isn’t. This definition is impossibly strict and makes the concept of “centrist” meaningless. This is why I attempted to establish a definition earlier, if you’re still confused what the purpose of that was.
Liberals and conservatives are not clubs that you enter and define your viewpoints based off of, with centrists being people who haven’t chosen a club. Rather, “liberal” and “conservative” are rough categories of related opinions and systems of thought that one may be closer or further from. The degree to which someone is centrist is the degree to which they hold simultaneous opinions from opposing groups, or opinions that are not close to those of any group. There is a scale on which some people will be “more liberal” or “more conservative” or “more centrist” or what have you. Again, to summarize, if everyone is a centrist then noone will be. You don’t have to be “smack dab on one end” to fit into a category. Just close enough. You can even define it more fuzzily (ie. center-left).
Now, given that I’ve estaished the common definition of centrism that the OP and I and everyone else in the tread is using, centrism in the context of American politics necessarily means that you hold a non-negligible number of conservative views, or simply don’t hold strong views at all.
I can see how, but I’m not defending centrists here so much as I am opposing mob rule based on disinformation
And given what I said above, calling centrists out for republican policies may be less accurate than calling republicans out for them, but there’s a good chance it’s still true and it’s a more importsnt target for the message the OP was conveying.