Bush Wanders Off Center

In nominating John Ashcroft for attorney general and Gale Norton as interior secretary, President-elect George Bush is ignoring what over the past decade has become the first law of American politics -- veer not from the center.

Newt Gingrich and Congressional Republicans defied this principle and paid the price, Mr. Gingrich with his political life. If Mr. Bush persists in betraying the center that helped elect him, he, too, will pay -- with a diminished presidency.

America's new political center, reflected in the growing number of independent voters, is surprisingly broad and deep. Some 35 percent of Americans now describe themselves as independents, compared with 33 percent who say they are Democrats and 31 percent who identify as Republicans, according to a Gallup poll conducted earlier this month.

Together with large numbers of centrist Republicans and Democrats, these independent-minded voters are neither conservative nor liberal in the traditional sense. Rather, they represent a genuinely new center in American politics -- one whose agenda lies outside left and right as opposed to between them. These new centrists are socially tolerant yet supportive of law and order, fiscally conservative but accepting of government intervention for economic fairness or security, concerned about the economy yet worried about the environment.

The new center is wielding ever more power through instant polls, focus groups and an active presence in mainstream environmental, consumer and church-based groups. As we saw in the last presidential campaign, its influence is growing as that of religious conservatives and liberal special-interest groups is shrinking.

The nominations of Mr. Ashcroft and Ms. Norton are vulnerable, then, not because they are the target of liberals but because the nominees hold positions that are antithetical to the values of this rising center.

John Ashcroft's opposition to abortion -- even in cases of rape or incest -- conflicts with the pro-choice attitudes of these voters. And his faith-based approach to public policy raises worries about his commitment to the rule of law and to the separation of church and state -- both important principles of the new center. Not surprisingly, the latest polls show more Americans opposing Mr. Ashcroft's appointment than supporting it.

Similarly, Gale Norton's environmental record clashes with the conservationist ethic of most centrist Americans. They are flexible in their approach to protecting the environment, but Ms. Norton's criticism of regulations affecting public lands suggests she would allow logging, mining and grazing interests a much greater access than before, which would be anathema to most centrists. Even the Republicans for Environmental Protection opposes her nomination.

If the Democratic leadership allows these nominations to go forward without question, it, too, will be held accountable by this center, which looks to the opposition to be a check against the party in power. There is no hiding from responsibility in a media age that makes clear, through instant polling, where the public stands.

Mr. Bush ran as a compassionate conservative, not as a member of his party's right wing. At times during the campaign, he sounded like a convinced new centrist. He spoke eloquently of restoring purpose to American life and of tearing down the walls that keep America divided. In his effort to marry progressive ends with conservative means, there was more than a hint of potential greatness -- for both his presidency and the country. But by straying from the center, with his appointments of Mr. Ashcroft and Ms. Norton, Mr. Bush risks squandering the potential for an effective presidency.