Switzerlandhas longbeen the global poster childforneutrality. The country has builtits entire brand on staying out of conflict, mindingits own business and balancing interests.Forcenturies, that worked. But intodays American political climate, neutrality hasbecome the kiss of death if you wanttowin a political race and get the latestnews soundbite.Level-headed, centristpoliticianswho avoid social media dont get attentionanymorebecause the political marketplace is driven by outrage, algorithms and entertainment value. The 24/7news cycle and platforms like X, TikTok and Instagram reward sound bites, conflict and viral moments not nuanced policy discussions.In an era where voters are polarized and clicks drive coverage,being measured and thoughtful simply doesnt generate headlines. As a result, middle-of-the-roadpoliticiansare often drowned out by louder, more extreme voices who know howtodominate attention.Lets faceit, the middle means youll likelybethe person who finishes last.WHY DEMOCRATS DESPERATE MAGA COSPLAY WILL FLOPGavinNewsom Shows His ShiftLook at California Gov. GavinNewsom.Foryears,Newsom styled himself as a progressive but reasonably pragmatic Democrat governing a big state, cutting deals, and tryingtolook presidential withoutbeing extreme.He hasnt done a great job, failed in a debate with Ron DeSantis, and desperately wantstobethe next president of the United States.In recent months,Newsom has completely changed his playbook and doesnt care whether people think hes fake or not. Hes leaned hard into trolling Donald Trump, escalating rhetoric and adopting the sharp sound bites that dominatenews cycles.And you know what?Its working.People are talking about him more.Why?Because he knows that staying in the middle isnt a winningformula. If you wanttoremain in the 2028 conversation, you cant just quietly pass budgets and host dinners. You need viral clips. You need memes. You needtobeloud. In a world where Trump dominates headlines with every social post, tryingtobeSwitzerlandjust leaves you invisible.TRUMP LEARNS A LESSON GROUNDED IN FAITH, HOW BEST TO STAND TOUGH ON TRADE WITH CHINAThe Mamdani Earthquake inNewYorkNowhere is this lesson clearer than inNewYork Citys mayoral race. Zohran Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist, shocked the establishment when he trounced Andrew Cuomo in the primary. Mamdani didnt hide his ideology. He put rent freezes, free buses, free groceries and universal childcare front and center.He knocked on doors in multiple languages, energized young voters and leaned into a fiery brand of politics that spoke directlytoactivist communities. Letsbeclear. Hell crush the soul ofNewYork City if he wins, but hes got the right playbooktowin right now.Meanwhile, Cuomo is tryingtorun as the experienced, level-headed Democratic centrist. The result? Hes getting steamrolled. Mamdanis campaign has raised over $4.4 million, drawing grassroots and union support. Cuomo, stuck in the middle lane, can barely generate enthusiasm. Intodays environment, passion and clarity win. Neutrality gets you nowhere.Even Eric Adams, the current mayor and a self-styled moderate, is learning this the hard way. Hes triedtoposition himself as the sensible law-and-order candidate. But instead of breaking through, he finds himself lobbing desperate shots at Mamdani going so far astoquestion his religious values in public.I MADE MEMES FOR THE WHITE HOUSE. HERES WHAT I LEARNEDThats not the move of a confident centrist. Thats the move of a politician who realizes the ground has shifted under his feet.Trump Proves the Model and Is the MasterLove him or hate him, Donald Trump has mastered this reality. He is the antithesis ofSwitzerland. Every move is bold, controversial and polarizing.Its decisive whether or not you likeit. And thats exactlywhyhe controls the narrative. Even when hes not on stage, heforces opponentstorespond.Every Truth Social post, every TV interview, every rally and every press statement sucks up media oxygen.Like President Trump or not, youve gottorespect how good he is at controlling the stage with the spotlight on him all the time.TheNewPolitical MarketplaceWhyhas neutrality lostits value? Two reasons. First, the media ecosystem thrives on clicks and conflict. Outrage spreads faster than nuance. If youre a careful, measured politician, your speeches dont go viral. If you throw rhetorical bombs, youre on everynews feed within minutes.CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINIONSecond, the electorateitself hasbecome polarized. Many Americans now vote as much against the "other side" asfortheir own.People are movingtoa state based upon whetherits red or blue.People are choosing their friends based on whether their values are red or blue.Sometimes, even families dont speaktoeach other based upon who is red and who is blue.None of this is new,by the way.The happiest societies in the world are proventobethe ones that generally are more homogenous with religion and race. In America you can now add a third element, which is your political stance.The Political FutureIn this political environment, candidates who trytosplit the difference come across as weak or unprincipled. Voters want conviction, even if they disagree withit. They want someone who will fight, not someone who will negotiate.Switzerlandmaybebeautiful, butits not a winning strategy in Americatoday. GavinNewsom understandsit. Zohran Mamdani is provingit. Donald Trump perfectedityears ago. The middle ground hasbecome political quicksand.The futurebelongstothose willingtoplant a flag not those quietly waving a white one.CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM TED JENKIN