Why Don’t They Govern from the Middle Anymore?

One thing seems clear to me: whenever a single party wins the House, the Senate, and the Presidency, they start operating from the extremes. It happens on both sides, every time. I often wonder — why don’t they govern from the middle? Wouldn’t that bring more people into their good graces? Wouldn’t that be the smarter, steadier path?

The answer, I think, lies in how our system is wired. When a party sweeps into power, it’s usually the fringe that pushes them over the top — not the middle. The most passionate activists, donors, and online warriors carry them across the finish line, so those are the people they feel they owe once they’re in charge. The moderates are taken for granted.

Then there’s the constant clock ticking in the background. Every elected official knows that reelection campaigns start almost the moment they’re sworn in. With such short terms, there’s no time to think long-term — or to consider what move is truly in the best interest of the country as a whole, the majority. Decisions get made for short-term wins, not lasting progress.

Sometimes I think a longer single term — one that can’t be renewed — might change things. Imagine if a President had six years, not four, and couldn’t run again. They could actually govern instead of campaign. Maybe senators could serve a single eight-year term, representatives a single four-year one. They’d still be accountable, but free from the constant pressure of raising money and pleasing party bosses. They might even have the courage to compromise.

And maybe, just maybe, it’s time to rethink the party system itself. Parties once helped organize ideas; now they seem to weaponize them. Instead of encouraging cooperation, they draw hard lines and punish anyone who dares to cross them. It’s less about what’s right for the country and more about what keeps the party machine running.

What’s really interesting — and frustrating — is that even when people agree with something their opposite party does, they rarely admit it. They’ll nod quietly but won’t say it out loud. They certainly won’t change parties. It’s almost like rooting for a sports team; you can’t just switch sides. Politics has become personal, part of identity, not just ideology. And when identity gets involved, reason takes a back seat.

I’m not naïve — I know politics has always been messy. But somewhere along the way we forgot that democracy was supposed to be about representing all the people, not just the base. The middle isn’t weakness; it’s where real problem-solving happens.

I’m not taking a side here. I just think that if we ever want to heal this country, we’ll need leaders who care more about the next generation than the next election — and voters who demand wisdom over warfare. Until then, we’ll keep swinging from one extreme to the other, wondering why nothing ever seems to stay fixed.