Reply #19: Let me change the terms of the debate and redefine . . .

[MrModerate]

Centrist to mean "not very political."

That is, people who don't follow politics very closely, and yet do vote. Who take what they see during an election season, make a decision based on their evaluation of the validity of the claims presented, and then show up in voting booths.

Who are on the verge of saying "a pox on both their houses" and either not voting at all or voting based entirely on local issues.

And who are exposed to the smears but not the (substantially quieter) debunking.

These are reasonable, although not-very-involved, people. We need them, and since they are reasonable, they can be reached by reason.

And no, I'm not talking about the "undecideds" who show up on the news programs 48 hours before a national election and say they're still making up their minds. They're hopeless.