Dem
47
GOP
53
William Butler Yeats wrote that in 1919 in the aftermath of World War I. It is still true. The media desperately wants to believe that many voters and some politicians are moderates and there is a future for moderatism (?) in America. We can't say anything about the distant future—say, 2035—but in the immediate future, there doesn't appear to be any.
The imminent retirements of two high-profile moderate Republicans make that clear. Moderate Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) saw the writing on the wall when Donald Trump threatened him with a right-wing primary challenger next year and just threw in the towel and announced he won't run for reelection. Tillis is 64. He could possibly have served another 20 years as a (sort of) moderate in a swing state—if only there were a market for moderates in swing states. Tillis lamented the rise of tribal politics and the decline of bipartisanship in Congress.
He isn't the first moderate Republican to collapse when Trump took aim at him. Former senators Mitt Romney, Bob Corker and Jeff Flake all ran for the hills when Trump decided it was time for them to go. Trump's real power is his cult-like grip over 75 million voters who would drop everything and walk a mile barefoot over scorching concrete covered with broken glass if he orders them to. This cartoon by two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning-cartoonist David Horsey is as true now as it was in 2014 when Horsey drew it, even though the players have changed:
Tillis made a telling comment on Sunday. He said that when members of the other party exhibit signs of "moderatism" (i.e., are willing to work with your party on something), they are hailed as heroes. But if someone on your team does the same thing, he or she is scorned, ostracized, or censured as a traitor to the cause.
A second moderate who gave up is Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), who represents the "blue dot" in Nebraska (Omaha). The district is D+3, but Bacon's brand of moderatism (plus his background as a retired Air Force brigadier general) have gotten him elected to the House five times, even in a bluish district. He could probably have won again next year, but he clearly understands that there is no future for moderates in the Republican Party at this moment. Bacon is only 61 and could potentially have had another 20+ years in the House, but what's the point of it? Nobody is listening to him, despite his 29 years of service in the Air Force. He worships Ronald Reagan, but in the modern Republican Party, that makes him a moderate, if not a RINO.
In reality, not a lot of members are really moderates anymore, and those who are tend not to showcase it too much except when holding rallies in hostile territory. The combination of extreme partisanship coupled with an almost evenly divided electorate means that anyone not vigorously defending the party line has a big problem with his or her base. Being a moderate is not easy right now. (V)