Editing Radical centrism (section)

=== Relations to the Third Way ===
In 1998, British sociologist [[Anthony Giddens]] claimed that the radical center is synonymous with the [[Third Way]].<ref>Giddens, Anthony (1998). ''The Third Way: The Renewal of Social Democracy''. Polity Press, pp. 44–46. {{ISBN|978-0-7456-2267-5}}.</ref> For Giddens, an advisor to former British Prime Minister [[Tony Blair]] and for many other European political actors, the Third Way is a reconstituted form of [[social democracy]].<ref name=Andrews /><ref>Giddens, Anthony (2000). ''The Third Way and Its Critics''. Polity Press, Chap. 2 ("Social Democracy and the Third Way"). {{ISBN|978-0-7456-2450-1}}.</ref>

Some radical centrist thinkers do not equate radical centrism with the Third Way. In Britain, many do not see themselves as social democrats. Most prominently, British radical-centrist politician [[Nick Clegg]] has made it clear he does not consider himself an heir to Tony Blair<ref name=Stratton /> and [[Richard Reeves (British author)|Richard Reeves]], Clegg's longtime advisor, emphatically rejects social democracy.<ref name=Reeves>Reeves, Richard (19 September 2012). "[http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/politics/2012/09/case-truly-liberal-party The Case for a Truly Liberal Party]". ''The New Statesman'', p. 26. Retrieved 7 January 2013.</ref>

In the United States, the situation is different because the term Third Way was adopted by the [[Democratic Leadership Council]] and other moderate Democrats.<ref>Smith, Ben (7 February 2011). "[http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0211/49041.html The End of the DLC Era]". ''Politico'' website. Retrieved 31 December 2016.</ref> However, most U.S. radical centrists also avoid the term. Ted Halstead and Michael Lind's introduction to radical centrist politics fails to mention it<ref>Halstead and Lind (2001), p. 263.</ref> and Lind subsequently accused the organized moderate Democrats of siding with the "center-right" and [[Wall Street]].<ref name=Lind/> Radical centrists have expressed dismay with what they see as "split[ting] the difference",<ref name=Klein/> "[[Triangulation (politics)|triangulation]]"<ref name=Lind/><ref>Burns, James MacGregor; Sorenson, Georgia J. (1999). ''Dead Center: Clinton-Gore Leadership and the Perils of Moderation''. Scribner, p. 221. {{ISBN|978-0-684-83778-9}}.</ref> and other supposed practices of what some of them call the "mushy middle".<ref>Satin (2004), p. ix.</ref><ref>Ray, Paul H.; Anderson, Sherry Ruth (2000). ''The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People Are Changing the World''. Harmony Books/Random House, pp. xiv and 336. {{ISBN|978-0-609-60467-0}}.</ref>{{#tag:ref|In 2010, radical centrist Michael Lind stated that "to date, [[Barack Obama|President Obama]] has been the soft-spoken tribune of the mushy middle".<ref name=Lind/>|group="nb"}}