Confession is good for the soul, they say, so I’m going to reveal my darkest secret. The thought alone is more than a little scary, but if it will help me recover …

OK, here goes.

“My name is Dana, and … I’m … uh … a … political moderate.”

There. I finally said it out loud. I do feel better, but I can see the look of disgust on everyone’s faces. “White bread,” they’re thinking. “Middle-of-the-road Midwesterner. Not truly committed to any cause. Afraid to take a stand.”

Lord, I’ve tried to live on the fringes. But every time I venture out there, I get pulled back to the middle. I swung from card-carrying Young Republican to student radical during the Vietnam War — that was a journey, I’ll tell you — but when I graduated and got a real job, I began to see the good and bad points of both the right and the left.

Since then, I’ve kind of mixed their ideas around and tempered them down. I’m not in favor of a nanny state, but I do think government can play a positive role in our lives. I’m all for capitalism, but in creating success stories, it also spawns failures, and I think we have an obligation to help those who are less fortunate.

I can’t toe any political party line, either. The hard-line Republicans, it seems to me, are too often about protecting the interests of the rich and don’t seem to care much what happens to us lesser folk. And inflexible Democrats, well, they think they know how you should live your life and like to make a lot of laws so you’ll do it their way.

The former side also seems to think it owns patriotism, while the latter stakes its claim to compassion. But from where I stand … um, or sit … it seems to me that both are usually just out to further their own self-centered agendas.

And lately, I really can’t hear what either side is saying over all this shouting. Frankly, y’all frighten me a little.

You wouldn’t think it would be lonely here in the center — closely surrounded by so many who are absolutely firm in their beliefs — but it is, kind of. It seems that the extremes are having all the fun, and the few of us in the middle are left to sweep up the mess when the parties move elsewhere.

And, believe me, I’m not talking about representing any Silent Majority. Been there, seen that, had to look up “nattering nabobs.” (Also felt obligated to check to see if I really had chosen to pursue a craft that was an “effete corps of impudent snobs.” Determined it wasn’t.)

No, I’m harkening back to the day when a good number of people plowed the ground somewhere between liberal Republicans and conservative Democrats — back to the time when those terms weren’t oxymorons … er … self-contradictory. (Hmmm. Maybe I’ll have to revisit that snob thing.)

Now, it seems as if most everyone has chosen to work the political edges. And in doing so, they’re fleeing the center — or decimating it. John McCain, whom many in his party considered a liberal Republican, veered sharply to the right in the run-up to his Senate re-election. And President Barack Obama, who arguably has moved toward the center, has come under fire from both his earlier detractors and supporters for not being far enough out there.

As for me, I don’t want to be left behind, but I’m just not absolutely convinced I’m right. Do we really have to be one or the other?

Is being a moderate really so awful and old-fashioned and namby-pamby? Because from my spot in the middle, it seems that we desperately need someone to moderate this furious argument between the extremes that is tearing this state and this country apart. And what better venue for all sides to meet for that discussion, which is so vital to solving the immense problems we face, than right here in the middle ground?

***

Please welcome several new members to the Illinois Issues staff.

Stacie Lewis, who earned her master’s degree in communications from the University of Illinois Springfield in December 2009, is our circulation fulfillment assistant and will also do some writing and photography.

Kendall Cramer, who is pursuing a master’s degree in public administration at the university, is our graduate research assistant. He writes articles for our Briefly and People sections, helps check the facts for everything we publish and is the editor of our upcoming Roster of State Government Officials.

Lauren Johnson is our graduate intern at the Capitol this semester. She will work with Statehouse Bureau Chief Jamey Dunn to report on state government. She is pursuing a master’s degree through the highly regarded Public Affairs Reporting program at UIS.

And Jessica Odigie, who is working toward a degree in legal studies, is our student assistant. She helps with office and clerical work and is essential to keeping things running smoothly at our office.

Illinois Issues, January 2011