Liberals to the left of me, conservatives to the right, here I am stuck in the middle with...

Am I the only one who feels this way?

I  know I'm not. The reality is those who are most to the left or most to  the right shout and stomp their feet while the majority of Americans  stay silent in the middle.

But  the middle, those who move between left and right, liberal and  conservative, do not end up on the nightly news or make the Sunday talk  shows. Let's face it unless you are very opinionated, emotional, tend to  be irrational at times, you are not good TV.

From  the left we hear the cheering of how they tromped all over Republicans  during the past election and the country is marching toward a new dawn.  From the right we hear the groaning of how the country is going into the  sewer by not getting their message out in the past election.

But what did happen?

From  where I sit here in the Cornfield, while I admit President Barack Obama  is more liberal on fiscal issues than my taste can stomach at times, he  has also been kept in check over the last two and a half years by the  opposition on the right on Capitol Hill. The leash on the President made  him much more desirable to a majority of Americans, who are mostly  stuck in the middle with me.

The  Republicans during the primary season overplayed their hand by pushing  too far to the right. This meant their candidate, Mitt Romney, became  less desirable to those in the middle. It was the right opposition which  handed the President his victory.

The  question now becomes whether unfettered by another run for office if  the President will move too far to the left unconcerned any longer about  the opposition on the right. From his inaugural address and State of  the Union, it would seem the President was bent on pushing as hard and  as fast as he can to the left.

There  is a danger, however, for the President. If he swings the pendulum too  far to the left, those in the middle will rebel and keep Congress in the  hands of the right.

At  the same time the right has to be careful not to hold too tight of a  grip on the President. If Republican lawmakers balk too much and look to  be too rigid, they will give the Congress back to the Democrats with  both chambers ceded.

The  overtures this week by the President seem to indicate he understands he  is walking a thin line. He has seemingly learned as his poll numbers  have dropped that the middle is not happy with bypassing Congress. He  has learned to get anything done, he has to start talking to the people  in the Legislative Branch whose votes matter.

Republicans  also seem to have realized that the middle wants enough pressure  applied to keep the country upright, but not too much blocking which  will lead to stagnation. Republicans seem to be responsive to the  President's overture and even have voiced nice words.

Even  with Kentucky Senator Rand Paul mounting a nearly 13-hour filibuster on  the Senate floor, it seems some Republicans are learning when to stand  and when to fold. In this case, Paul dug in on an issue that the middle  understood and with which they agreed with him. In turn the discussion  was made and answers were provided.

Everyone,  including your Cornfield pundit, hoped right up to the last minute that  a deal could be reached over the sequester. No deal came. Now over a  week later and the Earth is still spinning around the sun.

When  both sides saw that no one was going to blink and that the game of  chicken has run its course, dialogue has sprung up between the parties.  All I can say is it is about time.

Meanwhile  this Sunday I sit here wondering what will happen between now and March  27th when the nation exhausts its borrowing authority. Will we see our  elected officials finally doing their jobs or will we see a regression  to stances which do not work?

From the Cornfield, are you stuck in the middle with me or are you stuck to the left or stuck to the right?