Avlon on Reason TV

 This ten minute discussion between John Avlon and Nick Gillespie is worth the watch. John does a decent job in his delivery, though a little rushed. I was certainly confused when he described Wingnuts as "people who are always trying to unite us rather than divide us" Luckily we know he meant the opposite.

Where he did well, of course, was explaining how independents relate to libertarianism as they tend to be Fiscally Conservative and Socially Liberal. He correctly notes that both fringes get this wrong and seem unable to grasp the mix, instead claiming that independent vote boons represent some kind of referrendum for their ideology. (see: liberals taking Obama's victory as a liberal mandate; conservatives taking Brown's victory as a mandate against health care reform) The truth is, on the whole, independents are deficit hawks; they don't want either party spending recklessly, demonstrated by the struggle incumbents go through trying to hold office.

At one point Gillespie asks him where in the scheme the Tea Party movement fits, which Avlon rightly explains as a group of grassroot deficit hawk populists who are sadly experiencing Obama Derangement Syndrome. All due to the shift in genesis of political talking points coming from the media, rather than the politicians.

I agree with John in hoping we eventually get to the point where the focus of government is more than just establishing and maintaining power by pandering to extremes and vilifying ideological opponents

Video below the jump.