Centrist/Independent Blogs On the Rise

New York Sun columnist and author of Independent Nation, John Avlon has written a great column on the explosion of Centrist blogs.

Amid the media attention that has followed liberal and conservative blogs, the dramatic increase in the number of self-identified centrist blogs has been comparatively ignored. These are decidedly more difficult to pigeonhole - that's largely the point - but their rise indicates much the same thing as the 300% increase in the number of independent registered voters across the nation since 1994: There is an increased alienation from partisan politics as usual that the established parties have tried to ignore.
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[The center is] a lively place to be on the political spectrum because centrists catch hell from both sides. It's an occupational hazard: Liberals think centrists are conservative, while conservatives think they're liberal. As Alan Carl, a founder of the Yellow Line blog, who now opines at Maverick Views, explains, "A lot of blog readers are ideological purists, and a centrist blogger can catch a lot of grief for not toeing a particular party line."

It's also important to appreciate that centrists do not at this time have any organizational think tanks or party apparatus to support them. This is a self-propelled grassroots movement, responding to what Mr. Carl calls "a real thirst out there for voices that exist outside the left-right echo chambers."

All this is indicative of a larger trend toward de-alignment - as opposed to re-alignment - that Democrats are confronting today. Despite the popular backlash against the excesses of congressional Republicans, Democrats have been unable so far to find increased public support. Instead, voters are increasingly opting out of the partisan policy straitjacket and deciding to run, register, or vote as an independent.

Yeah, I just quoted the part where Avlon quoted me. It saves me from having to repeat myself. And who doesn’t enjoy a little self-aggrandizement from time-to-time?

But seriously, if you’re reading this it’s probably because you have an interest in all us voices speaking from outside the left-right divide. Whether we’re witnessing a new phase of America politics or just the inevitable backlash against the putrid partisanship of our times, I don’t know. But there’s a lot of us refusing to play the partisan games. And that’s a good thing.