John Avlon, author of Wingnuts, which looks at the extremes on the political spectrum, made a list of his 25 favorites centrists, most of whom made me think "They're a centrist?" What he really means are his favorite center-right or center-left people who aren't afraid to criticize their own side. Interesting that not one is from Fox News.
1. Kathleen Parker - Center-right Washington Post columnist who received grief in 2008 when she said that Sarah Palin ain't that bright. Often appears on NBC's The Chris Matthews Show.
2. David Brooks - Center-right New York Times columnist - their token conservative -he frequently guests on NBC's Meet the Press.
3. Michael Smerconish - Center-right Philly radio host, frequent MSNBC guest, he voted for Obama in 2008.
4. Matt Miller - The "center" from NPR's "Left, Right & Center."
5. David Frum - Former Bush staffer blasted for calling the Health Care Reform bill's passage as the "Waterloo" for Republicans. He wrote a cover story in Newsweek last year on why Rush Limbaugh is wrong.
6. Irshad Manji - Author of The Trouble with Islam Today.
7. Jon Stewart - Center-left host of The Daily Show, he's clearly progressive but has no problem blasting lefties when they make fools of themselves.
8. Joe Scarborough - Center-right former GOP congressman and host of MSNBC's Morning Joe, he'll debate anyone and he'll do in a civil manner. I keep hoping he'll debate Keith Olbermann, because I know he'd clean his clock, but Olby will never let that happen.
9. Andrew Sullivan - Center-right blogger for The Atlantic, he's big on the Reagan-Thatcher era of conservatism but disgusted with today's neocon movement and the rise of Sarah Palin.
10. Ron Brownstein - Frequent NBC talking-head who loves criticizes extremists.
11. Mark McKinnon - Helped John McCain in 2008, now a center-right columnist for The Daily Beast.
12. David Gergen - CNN talking-head, he worked in the White Houses of Nixon, Reagan and Clinton.
13. Harold Ford Jr. - Former Democrat congressman, current MSNBC talking head. I guess he made this list because he's polite.
14. Charles Johnson - Blogger from LittleGreenFootballs.com.
15. Doug Schoen - Former Clinton pollster, he'd love to see an end of the two-party system.
16. Peggy Noonan - Center-right speechwriter for Reagan, Wall Street Journal columnist, often appear on ABC's This Week.
17. Thomas Friedman - Liberal New York Times columnist; he's one I was surprised to see on this list. He wrote The World Is Flat.
18. David Broder - Longtime columnist/talking-head who's believed the two-party system's been broken for decades.
19. Joe Klein - Liberal Time columnist, another one where I guess I need to reread some of his stuff. Also appears a lot on NBC's Chris Matthews Show.
20. Christopher Buckley - Son of conservative stalwart William F. Buckley, he endorsed Obama in 2008, now works as a columnist for The Daily Beast.
21. Robert Guest - columnist for The Economist.
22. Jonathan Capehart - MSNBC talking-head. I thought he was flat-out liberal but maybe I've just caught him at all the wrong times.
23. Joe Gandelman - Founder of TheModerateVoice.com.
24. Ronn Owens - Author of Voice of Reason: Why the Left & Right Are Wrong.
25. Patricia Murphy - Never heard of her.
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