Wikipedia defines a moderate as follows:

“Moderate is an ideological category which designates a rejection of radical or extreme views, especially in regard to politics and religion.^[1][2] A moderate is considered someone occupying any mainstream position avoiding extreme views and major social change. In United States politics, a moderate is considered someone occupying a centre position on the left–right political spectrum.”

What does that actually mean? Shifting morals and positions over time change what being moderate actually means. For example at one time the Democratic Party supported slavery. Today they do not. Historically, if you took an anti-slavery stance you were considered part of the far right. Because the issues that the two major parties support changes over time so does the definition of a moderate, it is fluid and ever-changing.

Therefore in light of this fluidity, lets attempt here to refine what it is to be politically moderate today. There are currently many web-sites on the internet that use the word “moderate” in their name; -they claim to support all sides of the issues and represent all of the moderates in the United States. But when you look at what they actually support they are clearly on the left and not anywhere near the center. I suspect many of these sites may actually be run by the far left.

There is no “Moderate” Party, so the position put forth here is as good as (or better than) what you would find anywhere else. In general, the Wikipedia definition is rather general but is correct. Moderates are, well… moderate. They do not hold extremist positions. A moderate may have both left and right leaning positions on issues. Understanding this diversity of position is the failing of the current political parties, particularly the Democrats. The extreme faction of the Democratic party is the minority, but they are most definitely in control. The more moderate Democrats, and other moderates that supported them, are along for the ride at this point.

As an example, a Moderate could believe very strongly in the second amendment and gun rights but also be pro-choice. Society today tends to pigeonhole people based on the topic of the moment. This same individual could be called a deplorable by the left for supporting gun rights and a baby killer for supporting abortion rights by conservatives. This same person could be “canceled” by the extremists of both sides. This is the crux of what people with common sense oppose. Moderates understand people are multifaceted and can have both liberal and conservative beliefs. This is not a bad thing and it comes with being human. We are complicated and to try and label any of us is both wrong and short sighted.

Below is by no means an all encapsulating definition of what it means to be a moderate today, but can serve as a guideline to help you understand you are not alone, there are more of us out there, and WE are the majority.

1. Moderates do not support “Cancel Culture”. We believe people have the right to express themselves and that it is immature and improper to cancel people because of their beliefs. There are exceptions;- moderates do not believe in the extremes of course but hold a much more tolerant view of expressing an opinion, even when it vastly differs from their own.
2. Moderates are generally fiscally responsible but understand there could be a need to incur debt. This does not mean we think government spending should be unchecked, but should be reasonable and worthwhile.
3. Moderates do not believe the government has all the answers to the ills of society, but also see the need for government intervention. Appropriate regulation, and social safety nets can be valuable, but not to the extent that the citizens become wards of the state.
4. Moderates may register as Democrat, Republican, Independent or Other. Our party membership does not define us or our views even though we may lean one way or the other.
5. Moderates believe in the constitution, following the law, supporting each other and our government.
6. Moderates believe in the rights of all people. All faiths, genders, orientations, and races deserve and are entitled to equal rights under the constitution. This also means that special laws to support minorities etc. are supported but not to the extreme.
7. Moderates do not look at every issue from the perspective of race. We do not believe the country is blatantly racist. It is not we believe racism doesn’t exist, but we do not believe it is the driving force under which the the media and politicians tend to couch every issue.
8. Moderates are not happy with the direction the country is headed right now and believe we are too far left.
9. Moderates do not have Trump Derangement Syndrome and do not hate the Biden administration either. We may however feel that the Biden administration misled them due to the fact the administration does not demonstrate a true effort to garner bipartisan support and embrace moderate positions.
10. Moderates do not support violence and destruction as part of “peaceful” political protests. The right to protest is fully supported but not when it includes harm to individuals and property.
11. Moderates believe immigration is important to our country. Unlawful immigration is not. Anyone wanting to come to our country should follow the laws of our country to do that.

There are, of course, other items that could be on this list, but this will give you an idea of what it is to be a moderate. Of course if you do not agree with all of the tenets above that does not necessarily mean you are not moderate; you may just have one or two areas where you lean right or left. Use your common sense…if you are think your a moderate, you probably are.