The Moderate Movement for Political Independence from the Ideological Shackles of the Two-Party State

From this week's column at the California Independent Voter Network, on the rise of the moderates:

In today’s political environment, it can be easy to forget that more than a third of Americans consider themselves to be moderates. Moderates are, of course, (in)famous for their rejection of partisan politics and their critique of the ideological and political polarization we have come to expect from the Democratic and Republican parties.

While moderates still constitute a significant proportion of both Democrats and Republicans (32% and 29% respectively), they can be found in the largest numbers among self-described Independents, of whom nearly half identify themselves as moderate (48%) . . . If current trends continue, we are likely to see an increase in moderate third party activism, as well as more high profile Independent candidates for office who seek to create a political base for themselves with the help of the moderate activist and voter.

The piece goes on to discuss the ongoing organizing activities of the California Modern Whig Party, high profile candidacies of moderate independents on the east coast, and some new developments in the centrist and moderate political blogosphere. The article quotes Alan Reynolds, Deputy State Chairman of the California Modern Whig party. Head over to Third Party and Independent Daily to read the full e-interview I conducted with him over the weekend. From the intro there:

The Modern Whig Party received a boost last week with a front page article in the Wall Street Journal that profiled the group and detailed its efforts to "tap the angry middle." The story led to coverage of the group by a number of other media sources, including the Daily Show's Indecision Forever blog, and Brian Lehrer's morning program on NPR in NYC. One of the Modern Whigs quoted in the WSJ story was Alan Reynolds, the Deputy State Chairman of the party's California affiliate. I contacted Mr. Reynolds, and he kindly agreed to answer a few questions via email. Our discussion covered his response to the WSJ article, his motivation for getting involved with the Whigs, their immediate plans in California and his take on the state's gubernatorial race, among other things.