It is irresponsible journalism to refer to Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema as "moderates."
Words have meanings! They also have positive and negative associations that have an effect on readers and viewers.
Have an ed board meeting about it or whatever, but please make it stop.
Words have meanings! They also have positive and negative associations that have an effect on readers and viewers.
Have an ed board meeting about it or whatever, but please make it stop.
The labels "moderate" and "centrist" are associated with the idea of the "median voter." The implication is that "moderates" are closer to the position of most voters who are "in the middle" and alienated from the extreme poles of either political party...
Political elites have been wrapping themselves in the label "moderate" for decades to push agendas that are highly unpopular with working-class people (e.g., "free trade" deals and deregulation of Wall Street).
And news outlets uncritically parrot the label "moderate" as if it is a neutral descriptor, instead of a strategic frame of powerful politicians, used for effect.
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