This is just a rough (very) sketch of an idea I just had. First, obviously, the current and decades-old idea that the left and right two-color model of politics (American for this example) is too simplistic to be useful or relevant, let alone accurate. The more we see it that way, the worse everything gets. And, unfortunately, even seeing our political landscape as some simple gradient between two extremes misses too much to be useful beyond 6th grade.
So, my rough model, though... well, rough, is still better than the polar / red and blue model(s). Valuable for two main reasons.
The lie of the polar model has warped us. Largely, we fail to see the nuances, so we certainly can't articulate them. Yes, we see moderates and their would-be idealist allies infighting, wasting mountains of energy and time. Yes, it's great for your opponent but you do it, too. Ordinary republicans are insulted as "RINOs" in a snide attempt to radicalize them. Dems castigate progressives as -I don't even know what anymore-an unreasonable waste of time.
We have too many issues and citizens being dismissed by the system. Conversely, our diverging AND converging values are continually overlooked, in favor of a bunch of milquetoast, moderate, centrist bullshit. Our compromises are in the wrong place, and our steadfast values have been warped and manipulated into just more bullshit. We've been cramming a nuanced reality into a smelly shoebox that we blindly call "American politics."
One: What's obvious along with all this is that the two party system is bullshit. It's not representative, responsive, or accountable. We need ranked voting, unquestionably. The moderate and milquetoast will cry, "But that just invites radicals into government! Including you-know-who... (communists and nazis.)" Well, we've already got more nazis than communists in fucking congress, so trying something better is long overdue.
So if we can see that disparity...
(Fuck it, I'm never finishing these thoughts...)