Seize the Moment: Now Is the Time for a Bold Center
New beginnings require bold action— let's make this the year moderates take the lead.
American politics is at a tipping point. Extremism dominates the conversation, public trust in institutions is eroding, and democracy itself feels fragile. It’s easy to feel like the center is lost—that moderates have no place in a world of screaming extremist partisans.
But here’s the truth: this is our moment.
Now is the time for moderates to rise—not in whispers, but in action. Extremism may be loud, but it doesn’t represent the majority. Most Americans reject the chaos of the far-left and far-right. They’re hungry for leaders who listen, collaborate, and fight for solutions instead of soundbites.
Moderates have the numbers. What we need now is the courage to act.
Why Moderates Matter More Than Ever
Moderates have always been the backbone of American democracy. They’ve built coalitions, bridged divides, and kept the country moving forward. But in recent decades, the middle has been hollowed out by polarization and negative partisanship.
This erosion isn’t just bad for politics—it’s dangerous for democracy. Here’s why moderates are essential right now:
1. Extremism Is Eroding Trust
From election denial to defund-the-police rhetoric, the extremes are pushing narratives that alienate voters and undermine public trust. Moderates have the unique ability to rebuild that trust by standing for accountability, honesty, and pragmatism.
2. Collaboration Is the Only Path Forward
No single party or ideology can solve the challenges we face—from climate change to economic inequality. Moderates are the bridge-builders who can unite Americans around shared solutions.
3. The Silent Majority Is Ready to Speak
Poll after poll shows that most Americans want leaders who focus on results, not partisan warfare. Moderates are perfectly positioned to channel this desire into meaningful action.
The Risks of Waiting
The window for action won’t stay open forever. If moderates don’t step up now, the extremes will continue to dominate, and the damage could become irreversible.
Here’s what’s at stake:
Democratic Norms: Extremists thrive on chaos, eroding the norms and institutions that protect our freedoms.
Policy Stagnation: Without moderates to broker compromises, we’ll remain trapped in gridlock, unable to tackle pressing issues.
Voter Disengagement: When the center doesn’t show up, voters lose faith in the system and tune out entirely—making it easier for the extremes to consolidate power.
The longer moderates wait, the harder it will be to reclaim the middle ground.
Why Now Is Different
Despite the risks, this moment is also full of opportunity. Here’s why moderates have an unprecedented chance to make a difference:
1. Polarization Has Hit a Breaking Point
Americans are exhausted by the constant conflict. The incoming authoritarian era will make it worse. This frustration creates an opening for moderates to offer a compelling alternative.
2. Grassroots Momentum Is Building
Country Over Party movements and cross-partisan coalitions are gaining traction, showing that Americans are ready to organize around shared values.
3. Leadership Gaps Are Emerging
The extremes are loud, but they lack broad appeal. This leaves a leadership vacuum that moderates can—and must—fill.
What Moderates Must Do
Rising to the moment requires more than good intentions. Moderates need to organize, mobilize, and act with urgency. Here’s how we seize the moment:
1. Build Infrastructure
Extremists have spent decades creating networks of think tanks, advocacy groups, and media outlets. Moderates need to match this level of organization with institutions that amplify their voices and support their goals.
2. Mobilize Voters
The silent majority won’t stay silent forever. Moderates must engage these voters, turning frustration into action at the ballot box.
3. Recruit Leaders
Moderates can’t reclaim the middle without bold, principled leaders. It’s time to find, support, and elect candidates who reflect the values of collaboration and pragmatism.
4. Speak Loudly and Clearly
This is no time for timidity. Moderates must articulate a clear vision for the future—one that rejects extremism and embraces problem-solving.
The Stakes Are Too High to Stay Silent
Democracy doesn’t protect itself. It requires people who are willing to stand up, speak out, and fight for its survival. Moderates have the power to lead this fight, but only if we act now.
History doesn’t remember those who stood on the sidelines. It remembers those who seized the moment and made it count.
This is our moment. Let’s rise to meet it.
Join the Movement
If you’re ready to reject the extremes and fight for a better future, the time to act is now. Together, we can build a coalition of courageous, pragmatic Americans who refuse to let the middle be hollowed out.
The moment is here. Let’s not waste it.
Hi Reed - some active suggestions here in what you’ve written, proposing centrist think-tanks, media, etc.
Where, when, and how to we get the traction to get these things happening anywhere beyond the digital universe?
There are a growing number of centrist SubStacks - like yours and Adam Kinzinger’s.
A small part of my frustration is, beyond substack subscriptions with noble intentions, what are we *doing*.
Is there any “active resistance” developing? Or what’s the way forward? Skip the “resistance to what is (and what’s coming)” and focus on positive alternatives?
But in any case - seems to me we need a map for moving beyond SubStack & blogs - and into a more active, identifiable, cultural assembly of some sort.
I don’t know how to get there.
Seems to me that for the past 50 years, the right has been selling culture out in favor of economic policies they want.
The left has settled for selling out their ideological economic base in exchange for whatever they could get.
The right, for economic policy, has sold out culture to left-wing culture-kooks who aren’t even leftist in economic policy - they’re just culture kooks.
So right wing greed has been willing to sell society to culture-kookism, so as to continue achieving right wing economics.
In short - none of them look great & none of them have done us any favors.
U.S. citizens with financial and other assets are tired of this political conflict. Really, people? This shows how protected and comfortable we have been. It shows how little most of us know about much of our world and the longterm torturous lives that so many people live. If you lived in Afghanistan or Iran or Saudi Arabia, can you imagine living under the cultural requirements by their governments and religious leaders? Are we in the U.S. sunk by a few months of an outrageous political turnaround here? If so, where will we be in two years, four years, or 50 years? We have to develop some backbone and protect our country on many fronts and we have to dig in for the longterm. Our current situation took many years of persistent, organized, thoughtful, dedicated work by people determined to change our government. It will take many years to get back on track. “Never, never, never give up! Never give in.” Winston Churchill