I have a friend who claims to be part of the vast and powerful "moderate middle".  He further boasts that he and his like-thinking independents are the "king makers" in every election.  He will regale you with tales of his philosophical journeys during each and every election, seeking to impress with the depth of his deliberations.  Often he claims that, so great was the intellectual burden he faced, he could not make up his mind until the moment that entered the voting booth.  I would, on occasion, talk with him about the politics of America.  When I would ask him about the fundamental underpinnings of his political belief structure, he would reply that he was socially liberal but fiscally conservative.   Hmmmmm, how conveniently "middle of the road" I thought.  I would ask him how he planned to pay for the socially liberal programs that he saw as the duty of America.  He would invariably reply that he felt the rich needed to pay...(Read Full Post)