The Vanishing Center: How Political Extremes Are Leaving Americans Homeless
By Frances J. Trelease
Communications Professor | Business Writing Trainer
I’ve been thinking a lot about the rise of extremism in American politics. In my view, both major parties have been pulled toward their most uncompromising fringes. We’re losing the moral center that once anchored each.
Centrist Democrats are increasingly losing primaries to more progressive challengers. On the right, moderate Republicans in the mold of Mitt Romney and Liz Cheney have been displaced by the MAGA movement.
These shifts further polarize the country, and social media platforms like TikTok amplify the divide through algorithms designed to reinforce what users already believe.
A match has been lit under hate and blame.
And now Jewish Americans — who have long felt protected in the U.S. — are being targeted by both political fringes, leaving many feeling politically homeless. This is just one example of how the loss of centrist candidates has come with a high price: the erosion of decency, moderation, and respect for citizen dignity.
A recent Pew study shows that true moderates are shrinking in both parties. Meanwhile, political Independents — roughly 40% of the electorate — increasingly feel defeated. When the center withdraws, extremism becomes self‑reinforcing.
The Role of TikTok
Social media platforms (TikTok, Instagram, X, and others) don’t just reflect public opinion — they shape it. Outrage keeps people scrolling.
A Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review study of 51,680 political TikTok videos in 2024 found:
- 77% were explicitly partisan
- Partisan content drew twice the engagement of nonpartisan content
- Toxic videos generated the most interactions — especially on racism, antisemitism, immigration, and election fraud
These creators and influencers move people toward more polarized narratives, not toward understanding.
At my daughter’s Columbia graduation in May, the ceremony was interrupted by graduates waving “Free Palestine” flags. The same happened at Stanford earlier this month.
Many of these students base their views on creators with agendas — often outside the U.S., and sometimes not even human, but bots. The reality that these young graduates, especially women, would not have the freedom to raise those flags in Gaza, Iran, or much of the Middle
East gets lost.
A Case Study in Extremism
Antisemitism is rising at levels not seen in decades. Research from Brandeis University shows a “horseshoe” pattern:
- Explicit antiJewish attitudes are more common on the far right
- AntiIsrael beliefs that Jewish students experience as antisemitic are more common on the far left
The rhetoric is openly hostile and increasingly includes harassment and assaults.
Just this week, a Brooklyn coffee shop, Poetica Coffee, publicly stated that it would not have served Rep. Dan Goldman because of his proIsrael views, issuing him a refund and telling him not to return. New York City’s new mayor, Mandani, has referred to Israelis as “monsters.” Bill Maher recently observed that Jew hatred is not only becoming normalized — it is becoming celebrated, almost a fashion trend.
This has created a political homelessness for many American Jews.
Neither party’s increasingly vocal fringe offers a safe haven for decency or common sense. And that brings me back to my central belief: political extremism on a multitude of issues — not just antisemitism — leaves little room for shared values or workable solutions.
What About Us?
There is no magic bullet to reverse extremism; it reflects the zeitgeist of the last decade.
But as individuals, we can take a critical look at the “information” we’re being fed. If someone
wants us to hate or harm another group, we have to ask why. What’s in it for them?
Too often, the answer lies in power, profit, and control.