Steve Teles and Robert Saldin wrote,

there is no politically viable future for moderates outside the Democratic and Republican parties. And within those parties, moderates will only get the power that they desire by organizing as a coherent bloc, recruiting attractive candidates, mobilizing moderate voters in each party to participate in partisan politics, and developing ideas to inspire their base and provide opportunities for policy change. Without strong, durable, organizationally-dense factions, individual moderates or even entire state parties will not be able to distinguish themselves from their national brand or fight for leverage in national politics. In other words, what influence moderates will have in the coming years will only emerge as a result of organizing as coherent minority factions within the Democratic and Republican parties.

As a thought experiment, imagine a 1990s moderate today. What policies that are in place now would appear right-wing to such a moderate? What policies would appear left-wing?

I have just started to read the authors’ new book that takes a look inside the Never Trump movement. It could be a scholarly work or a vehicle for gossip. But if it turns out to be too scholarly, I’ll be disappointed. That would be like getting old issues of Playboy with nothing but the articles.