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Bob Schieffer: Just how bad is "moderate"?

I love to vote but I never tell anyone who I vote for - not even my wife. Nor do I advocate for or against anyone.

So don't take this as support or opposition to any of the candidates. But when I saw a voter quoted the other day as saying one of the candidates was "just too moderate," I had to wonder: How can anyone be TOO MODERATE?

Is moderate - like compromise - a new dirty word?

With all these labels being flung about I went to the dictionary for a campaign year review.

Well, it turns out moderate is defined as "avoiding extremes... calm... temperate."

Can any thing or anyone be too much of that?

And I hope liberals who derisively brand others "conservative" and conservatives who are proud to be called just that will not be surprised to know that one definition of conservative is "one marked by moderation."

And those who derisively brand their political enemies "liberal" may be unaware the dictionary defines liberal as "generous and open-minded."

I offer this information as a public service. If we're going to call people names, it does help to know what we're calling them.

And by the way, I also looked up to the term "Christian." The dictionary says it has to do with Jesus, and links it to no particular political party.

I thought I was right about that!

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