Belshire Way is a street in a subdivision in Orange County. ("Close to Irvine Spectrum!" the real estate ads say. "Open floor plans!") Drive by, and the view is of 14 one- and two-story tract houses. Some have red tile roofs. Some have pools in the backyards. Some get notices from the homeowners' association about garbage-can visibility and unsanctioned tetherball pole setups. In other words, it could be any suburban street in America but for something invisible from the curbside: For years, Belshire Way has been a cul-de-sac divided—exactly divided—between Democrats and Republicans....

A growing body of social science research has found the actual views of most Americans are converging toward the middle. One of the most provocative calls in the wake of the 2000 election has come from so-called radical centrist Ted Halstead, a former environmental activist and founder of the New America Foundation, who favors a platform drawing from a variety of ideologies (a strong military, for one, and universal health insurance that would make it easier for workers to change jobs and entrepreneurs to start new businesses)....

For the complete article, please see the The Los Angeles Times Web site.