Is it just me or is there no such thing as a "moderate liberal" in todays

political parlence. There are conservatives, liberals and moderate conservatives, but there don't seem to be any moderate liberals any more, as if, as soon as a person displays ANY liberal tendencies they are automatically extremists.

Therefor, all Moderates are really just right wingers without the courage of thier convictions; while Liberals are all extremeists by definition.

a fiscally conservative progressive. Is that possible?

In reality, you'll find (as I did) that you will have to decide to spend money to be progressive, making you a fiscal moderate. After all, a fiscal conservative would wish to eliminate programs that protect the market from unseemly manipulation...

Just because you want to balance the deficit does not make you a fiscalconservative.

radical centrist?

The way I'm understanding the radical centrist is it may be a more pragmatic, results oriented position. A moderate liberal is less like Ghandi and more like Kucinich. I see Dean and Clark as being more centrist.

Having said that, I do believe that any of the three would take us to the same place on the national political level. Although there would be differences in how they deal with business ,not necessarily corporate business, interests. I think both perspectives would circumvent the political business as usual that the current Dems practice.

I used to just be called a "moderate." However, I think anybody that isn't a fascist nowadays is considered to be some degree of liberal.

What about Bill and Hillary Clinton? What about Wesley Clarke? They are quite moderate. Even Jimmy Carter was once viewed as a moderate; he has only become viewed as an extremist wild-eyed peace-monger because the U.S. media has veered so sharply to the right.

The main complaint I hear about our leaders, or at least our white leaders, is that they are too "centrist," not that they are "extremist." Only the extremist right could possibly view the very modest and achievable aims of the Clintons, say, as evidence that "liberals" are "extreme."

on who you're referring to. That is, I think most (regular) people when it comes down to it are more or less moderately liberal or at the very least moderate.....no one (aside from the very few on either wings' fringe) is solidly anything.

The trouble is, is that the people who's opinions matter (op-ed writers, pundits, members of thinktanks, etc.) tend to be on one side or the other and the appearance is that they are the only ones with actual opinions that ought to be listened to.

What actual (average, everyday) people think or feel or where they come down on the political spectrum doesn't matter much in this country; our voices are rarely listened to, and our opinions aren't included in policy makers' debates or decisions.

I think the most trouble arises when people stop forming opinions for themselves and rely on others to tell them what to think (which is a really easy thing to do these days). The dangerous thing in todays' climate is that the message that most people hear is coming from right; there isn't much of an open discourse that includes other, divergent opinion.....at least not that's easy to find.