It’s no secret that the relentless polarization of U.S. politics has left independent and moderate voters politically homeless. Today a bipartisan group of activists gathers in New York to launch an effort to organize this “radical center” and amplify its voice in Washington.
No Labels is the brainchild of Nancy Jacobson, a veteran Democratic activist and fundraiser. Its organizers include veteran political players from both parties of a distinctly pragmatic, non-doctrinaire bent (including yours truly). It aims to build an online network of Americans – imagine a MoveOn.Org for centrists – who are fed up with the nation’s dysfunctional political system and want to do something about it.
That won’t be easy, even with the Internet’s unprecedented power to connect virtual communities of like-minded people. Unlike arch partisans and members of interest groups, independents and moderates are notoriously hard to mobilize. They tend not to be impelled by passionate causes, and to pay fleeting attention to politics. “Liberals and conservatives have passion. Moderates and independents have lives,” observes political analyst Charlie Cook.
There’s little doubt, however, that voters across the broad middle of the spectrum have become more disenchanted with politics and government. The midterm election was the third straight in which independents turned against the incumbent party. This restiveness is grounded in what they see as the Obama administration’s failure to deliver, especially on the economy. Independents don’t trust the Republicans either, and the last thing these voters want is an intensification of Washington’s zero-sum political game.
According to a new poll by Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor, only 10 percent of Independents welcome the GOP victory as a chance to roll back government. Seventy percent said neither party’s agenda alone can solve the nation’s problems. This poll confirms other recent surveys in finding a strong preference for bipartisan cooperation over confrontation. President Obama’s tax-cut deal shows he’s gotten the message.
So No Labels is tapping into something real. On the other hand, it so far is defined more by what it’s against – incivility, partisan cant, rigid dogmas, special interest power and, above all, a paralysis in government’s ability to solve problems – than by what it’s for. Can a movement organized by political insiders tap and channel grassroots anger in politically consequential ways? Can it coalesce behind a positive agenda for governing? We’ll see.
For now, it’s enough to say that the problems No Labels seeks to solve are real enough. There’s no question we need a broad civic mobilization to bring intense pressure to bear on our political leaders to work together to solve the nation’s problems. Independents and moderates may be an inchoate political force, but there are lots of them. If No Labels can get even a fraction of them mobilized for political action, Washington will take notice.
