Recent commentary: Political midpoint

Where is the political midpoint in America?

(published 12-Jul-2004, Appleton Post-Crescent)

Right where it's always been: "Shut yer yap, leave me alone, and stop raising my blankety-blank taxes!" "Political midpoint" implies some sort of political average; but there are simply too many issues: from Iraq to milk subsidies, from Social Security to global warming, and from endangered species to gay marriage...there's no end. These political pendulums all swing at once in different directions. There's no such thing as a viewpoint that encompasses the middle of each swing. You can try to deny it but politics surrounds us, like The Force in Star Wars (think of Yoda lecturing Luke Skywalker): the streets, the air, the water, the parks, the farms, the hospitals, the lawyers...to paraphrase Robert Heinlein, politics is nearly as important as your own heartbeat. If you're one of those who think that other people should be controlled for their own good, these are the salad days for you.