The ideal candidate for a hypothetical Centrist Party is one who has been purged from his or her own party for being insufficiently extreme. Other attributes include pragmatism, and a willingness to work with the other side.
- Dede Scozzafava, endorsed by Newt Gingrich and the NRA, but disowned by the Republicans for being soft on abortion and gay rights.
- Joe Lieberman, ran for Vice-President in 2000 as a Democrat, but kicked out of the party for supporting the Iraq war.
- Arlen Specter, run out of the Republican Party in 2010, by a “conservative” challenger.
- Evan Bayh, highly successful Democrat and former Governor of Indiana, quit the Senate in disgust over deficit spending.
- Olympia Snowe, pilloried for engaging with the Democrats on economic stimulus and health-care reform. Retires from Senate in 2012, citing distress over “polarization.”
- Scott Brown, “northeastern Republican,” branded a traitor to his Party after one week in the Senate.
- Blanche Lincoln, founder of the Moderate Democrat caucus, drummed out for voting against the unions on key bills.
