What Is Triangulation In Politics?

Triangulation is an interesting term that is often applied to design, land surveying and global positioning location. But the word is also associated with a political method that attempts to locate a candidate’s position on issues. In the simplest terms, political triangulation means a party or candidate has a view that is not specifically left wing or right wing, but is somewhere between and also above those extremes.

According to most common explanations, this allows the candidate or party platform to be seen as taking the best of both extremes, softening them and protecting the candidate from critics of either pole. Of course, those who take the more specific left or right stance criticize those who “triangulate,” stating that such a position is not realistic and may be unworkable in politics.

Most political histories and documents give credit to a Bill Clinton adviser, Dick Morris, for creation of the term. Morris, who is viewed as an experienced public relations man and political strategist, was attempting to put Clinton in position to win the 1996 Presidential election. He and Clinton sought to set themselves apart from the standard policies and platform of the Democratic Party. In fact, Clinton came out with the idea that the big-government Democrats were relegated to history. Instead, he and Morris proposed to be more than Republican on some issues, while maintain some of the Democratic ideals and programs. This placed Clinton in a third position, thus the term triangulation.

It is interesting to note that the many books and magazine articles written about Bill Clinton and his Presidency continue with reference to his wife, Hillary. She is widely known in political circles as using triangulation, using the usual Republican policy of a strong and growing military along while maintain many of the government-support programs the Democrats are known for.

Critics of this method have, in the last few years, attempted to bury triangulation once and for all, as they attempt to push the two major parties back to their respective polar positions. These positions are sometimes seen as “left” and “right.” In spite of the “third way” position often taken by candidates such as John Kerry and Al Gore in recent elections, expert observers such as Sharon Smith have asked if we have actually witnessed the death of triangulation as a political method.

She provides plenty of evidence of the use of triangulation by Hillary Rodham Clinton. This candidate went so far as to declare that there was a new party, which Smith quoted as “national security Democrats.” However, Smith also notes the movement of many conservative, right-wing Bush supporters to a third position that isn’t so supportive of the war and some of the Bush/Cheney policies.

Smith proposes that the election of Barack Obama and the new attitude in Washington might be indication of change. But she doesn’t necessarily come right out and say that triangulation is dead. She is only asking where the method stands in the political climate of the 21st century.

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