Indeed, what seems most striking about the Bush presidency so far is not only the extent to which he is a representative of reactionary influences in Texas, the South and other parts of the country but also how important moderate centrist influences remain in shaping national policies and actions.
He says he doesn't "understand the fuss" over "a very average 'realist' and centrist critique of the influence of Israel".
In his struggle against Labour centrists, Livingstone was influenced by Trotskyist Ted Knight, who convinced him to oppose the use of British troops in Northern Ireland, believing they would simply be used to quash nationalist protests against British rule.
The right saw Fox as a restraining influence on the centrist drift of policy under Cameron, and fear his absence.
The government can pass legislation on the EU by calling on the support of the opposition centrist parties, depriving Mr Wilders of influence.
The right-wing media has run with McCulloch's and Wilson's public relations efforts, but even the more centrist media seems to have been influenced by it.
Though the number of moderates may be small, with the partisan margins certain to be much tighter in the Senate next year no matter which party is in control, centrists will still be able to wield influence given the importance of every individual vote.
While the well-funded "centrists" have too much money and media influence to be counted out, this movement poses a real threat to their dominance over the Democratic Party.
But it was also, in the words of Khaled Hamza, a reform-minded Muslim Brother, a place were "great intellectual battles" were waged over the future of Islamism, mostly influenced by Mr Qaradawi's wasatiyyah (centrist) current.Mr Qaradawi, 84, is sometimes said to be the most influential living Sunni Muslim scholar.
She boosted the influence inside the White House of the unwaveringly centrist consultant Mark Penn, who is now the chief strategist for her Presidential campaign.
