118. Tcobb: Excellent point, they could impact the votes of both parties and give a haven of support to centerists who would otherwise be driven to extremism by the howling of the nutters on the fringes.

My point of carving out the center of both parties; you could still be a D or an R without being beholden to the shreiking fools on the edge if there was a base of support in the center.

An interest group with a clearly stated mission but no certain political afilliation. Each Pol is judged by their performance, not the letter after their name.