It’s a favorite refrain of the mainstream media to extol “centrism” and curse “extremism.” If you’re looking at a large enough spectrum — say, with Stalinism, eugenics, slavery, and anarchy as the “extremes” — I agree, but within the confines of American politics, where the extremes are Jim DeMint and Bernie Sanders, this is silliness.

Jon Stewart engaged in this “centrism” canard briefly, and these days, it’s the “No Labels” clique of failed Republican politicians and principle-free Democrats waving this flag.