Bozell & Graham Column: Stop the Silly 'Centrist' Labels for Democrats
By Brent Bozell and Tim Graham | January 15, 2020 7:52 AM EST
The most abused adjective in political reporting is the label “centrist.†It should tell you everything about the politician. Unfortunately it tells us far more about those applying the label.
The American Conservative Union ratings system has been widely accepted as the voting compass from the perspective of the right. According to ACU, a centrist would look like Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, who has a lifetime ACU score of 44.8 percent. Reporters could call her a “liberal Republican,†and they should, except that term simply doesn't exist. (Don't believe us? Check it out.)
Or take Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who is considered a “conservative Democrat,†but that animal doesn't exist in the Senate. His lifetime ACU is 26.7, putting him in lockstep with the left almost 3/4 of the time.
Source URL:
https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/tim-graham/2020/01/15/bozell-graham-column-stop-silly-centrist-labels-democrats
