RK ARCHIVE - America is a State.....of Denial

Now, you and I both know that a lot more than 19% of people in this country are liberal. The question is, why do these millions of Americans who support liberal positions, refuse to call themselves liberal. It must be because of what Republicans say about us, right? Wrong. That's only part of it. The problem is, instead of arguing with them, Democrats AGREE with them.
Here's Fmr. Rep. Harold Ford, Jr. (D-TN):

That was Ford during his unsuccessful campaign for a Senate seat in Tennessee last year. That's a Democrat saying; liberals dislike Jesus Christ and do not support the troops. A Democrat. Ford will take the helm of the DLC this year. The same group that produced Democratic standard-bearers like Bill Clinton and Al Gore.

That's Joe Lieberman on national television after losing the Democratic Primary last year to Ned Lamont. Lieberman, who calls himself a Democrat in that same interview, saying that a majority of the Dems in Conn. are not in the mainstream. Lamonts position on Iraq is, and was, shared by a majority of Americans, and an OVERWHELMING majority of Democrats.

When Reagan was President, he made America into a right-wing bastion. When Clinton became President....he simply adapted to Reagan's America. That's why we're still living in it 20 years later. Hopefully in my lifetime there will be a time when Democrats argue over who's the most liberal, and Republicans run from the conservative label. But that won't happen until we elect someone who's a leader, not a follower.

Comments

If only 19 percent of Americans consider themselves liberal.. (Terry85 - 2/8/2007 3:51:06 AM)

then perhaps people need to better inform themselves as to what the words Liberal, and Conservative mean:

Liberal: free from prejudice or bigotry; favorable to progress

Conservative: disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change; restrained in style.

I'd also be interested to know how many Americans actually consider themselves "conservative."

Maybe if the Democratic party would stop being afraid to do anything that actually matters, and get "down and dirty" just like the Republicans do (and I don't mean get involved in scandals and what not), throwing their crap right back into their own faces, we wouldn't be seeing poll numbers that looked like this. I've said it a thousand times before and I'll say it again, it's time for the Democratic party to STOP being polite, and play "politics."

Get out the message and get tough (Dianne - 2/8/2007 8:47:01 AM)

You are absolutely right. The problem is that Democrats do not promote and explain what liberalism stands for and what the Democratic Party has given this country. I just never hear it enough:

From the Harris County Texas Democratic Party website
8-Hour Workday
Social Security
Minimum Wage Law
G.I. Bill of Rights
Marshall Plan
NATO
Peace Corps
Medicare
Medicaid
Operation Head Start
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Water Quality Act
Clean Air Act
First Man on the Moon
Women's Suffrage Ammendment
Workers Compensation Act
Unemployment Compensation Act
Rural Electrification Act
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Federal Home Loan Program
Securities and Exchange Act
Guaranteed Student Loan Program
Family & Medical Leave Act
School Lunch Program
Motor Voter Act
100,000 New Police on U.S. Streets
Balanced Budget in 1998 as a result of the Balanced Act 1993
Davis-Bacon Act

Most of these accomplishments were strongly resisted by Republicans. Until Democrats get tough and let Americans know that Democrats (aka liberals) gave them these things and continue to fight for improving American life, our viability will be shaky.

For a lengthy and full exploration of this effect... (Josh - 2/8/2007 8:41:08 AM)

See "The Liberal Moderates" from the American Prospect.

HIGHLIGHTS:

A Decades long campaign to destroy the word "LIBERAL".

But even if lots of people like thinking of themselves as "moderate," why should it follow that more people choose to call themselves "conservative" than "liberal?" The answer lies in a decades-long campaign to make the word an epithet -- from Ronald Reagan taunting Michael Dukakis as "liberal, liberal, liberal" to a host of Senate candidates who faced television ads calling them "embarrassingly liberal" or "shockingly liberal." Through endless repetition, conservatives succeeded in associating "liberal" with a series of traits that stand apart from specific issues: weakness, vacillation, moral uncertainty, and lack of patriotism, to name a few.

STUPID DEMOCRATS ARE DOING THIS TO THEMSELVES:

There was a time when a "liberal" was something most people -- even some conservatives -- wanted to be. On the stump in 1952, Dwight Eisenhower said "we need in Washington liberal and experienced members of Congress." Eight years later, Richard Nixon quoted FDR's definition of a liberal as "a man who wants to build bridges over the chasms that separate humanity from a better life," and said, "It is a wonderful definition, and I agree with him."
But when Republicans began to go after liberalism, Democrats cowered in fear, not only trying to distance themselves from the term but embracing the idea that a "conservative" is a great thing to be. Few Republicans would claim to be "social liberals" -- even if they are -- but Democrats are always claiming to be "fiscal conservatives," saying they have "conservative values" or chiding Republicans for not holding to the principles of conservatism on issues like the deficit. The message this sends to Americans who don't know much about politics is that, regardless of the details of policy, it's good to be conservative and bad to be liberal.

THE AGGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE POLITICAL ATTACK STRATEGY:

Which brings us to what may be the most important feature of ideological competition in America today: Unlike liberals, conservatives don't simply criticize specific candidates or pieces of legislation, they attack their opponents' entire ideological worldview. Tune into Rush Limbaugh or any of his imitators, and what you'll hear is little more than an extended discourse on the evils of liberalism, in which specific events are merely evidence that the real problem is liberal ideology. Liberals may write best-selling books about why George W. Bush is a terrible president, but conservatives write best-selling books about why liberalism is a pox on our nation (talk radio hate-monger Michael Savage, for instance, titled his latest book Liberalism Is a Mental Disorder).

DITCHING THE WORD "LIBERAL" FOR "PROGRESSIVE:

As part of a solution, many on the left have decided to start with a clean slate, ditching "liberal" in favor of "progressive." As a strategic move, this has much to commend it. Recent American political history has made it hard to argue that the root of "liberal" -- liberty -- belongs more to the left than to the right. In contrast, liberals can legitimately claim that they and not conservatives are the advocates of progress. They can argue that with their desire to conserve, conservatives are stuck in the past, while progressives want to achieve social and economic progress. Any number of different issues can be understood through this prism.

IT ONLY WORKS IF PROGRESSIVES CARRY OUT A LONG STANDING ATTACK CAMPAIGN ON THE EVILS OF CONSERVATISM ITSELF:

But the rebranding of the left through the substitution of "progressive" for "liberal" can only succeed if all on the left agree that they are in fact progressives, and proclaim it loudly. If they accompany that proclamation with a critique not just of conservative policies and politicians but of conservatism itself, they'll find more and more moderates calling themselves progressive. Otherwise, they'll be right back where they started.

CONCLUSION: MAKE PROGRESSIVISM MEANINGFUL AND EXPOSE CONSERVATISM FOR THE INSIDIOUS AND UNAMERICAN DISASTER THAT IT TRULY IS.

You Forgot (Gordie - 2/8/2007 8:52:31 AM)

to include Open Minded.

First; Just like conservatives run from the Dictionary meaning of Conservative, Democrats are running from the Liberal definition, Republicans use to bash Democrats. I have been a Democratic Liberal all my life, but I am not the give away Washington DC liberal.

Second; I think you better go back and really read what Ford said about Washington Liberals. He said the Washington Liberals dislike Jesus. He repeated what they said, not that he said it.

Third; The Democratic Party is founded on the Principals of Jesus and is one reason that has made them the best Party ever established. Just as Moses wondered in the desert for 40 years, the party leaders have wondered in the Desert of DC. Our message is beginning to sink in and they may just dig themselves out of the hole they have been living in. Thanks Howard Dean.

Fourth; The Republican Party claims to be the Party of Jesus, but I have never seen them carry the banner of Jesus principals. The more they seem to say they are the party of Jesus , their actions portray them as the Anti-Christ. Just look at their War Mongering Leader. His legisty is more important then the lives of our Military. Take this budget. Most of Jesus' programs for the underprivileged have been cut, while the Killing Machine has more money then it will ever need.

Fifth; This administration says to fight the fight over there, yet it makes the South American leaders anti United States. They claim Iran cannot attack us any other way, then by Terrorist tactics, YET the Iranian leader is negotiating to put long range missiles in Chavez' country. Soviet made by the way. They (Soviets) couldn't do it in Cuba so they are trying Chavez. Also heard something about Soviets building an AK-47 factory in the Chavez' country.

Sixth; Americans are not in a state of denial. They are in a state of "Work for what you get". They are for Government Health, Medicaid, College Tuition Programs for all who cannot afford. And the list goes on for American Citizens. Americans are against food stamps for Illegals and the give away programs for the HB-1 visa. Americans are tired of Illegals having more and better benefits then they have. Sure we have the passion of Jesus for the Illegals, but we are not for that they have better health care then our citizens. When our citizens have a health issue they end up in Bankrupcy. When Illegals have health issues our Government picks up the bill. We are tired of that.

Seventh; It would be best to leave Lieberman out as a spokes person for the Democratic Party. He is more Republican then Democrat. Check the "Favorite Senator" ratings. Lieberman is below most Republicans as a favorite Senator.

The Give Away programs is the "Liberal" we in the Democratic Party are running away from.
We are running from a Government that gives anything to other countries, but shafts it's citizens.

The right moment to switch perspectives is now (Hugo Estrada - 2/8/2007 9:06:43 AM)

I feel that this is the right moment to persuade people into leaving their conservative identity.

Many people consider themselves "conservative" or "moderate" because they see these labels as a way of saying "rational" or "common sense person." A lot of the attacks against liberals have to do with how poorly thought their policies are or how wasteful.

Well, Bush has run the country with poorly thought policies in a wasteful manner. The former Republican congress went along with it. Corruption was out of control, and so were abuses of power.

In other words, the picture of "liberalism" that conservatives worked so hard to get into the minds of people is actually how their conservative government behaved.

And their is an economic pinch right now. The promises of prosperity that Bush has made are not seen in the middle classes. Conservatism is a luxury they can't afford anymore.

Good discussion (novamiddleman - 2/8/2007 10:27:30 AM)

You guys are totally right liberal is a toxic term. Its smart for you to switch to progressive. The sad part is its all a game. We should be really talking about issues instead of one term labels but even then we fail each other. I'll bash both sides

Rs like to say lower taxes well duh who doesn't want lower taxes but then they never go into the details of what programs they will cut to offset etc.

Ds like to say universal health care well duh who doesn't want universal health care but then they never go into the details like who will pay for it and how it will work. (As a side note at least Edwards actually has a plan I disagree with the plan but at least he has one)

Of course the negative of all of this is once you have a plan you open yourself up to more attacks so most "professional politicians" stick to the one word slogans and issues which are nearly impossible to criticize (Ever know anyone who got elected who is against lower taxes or universal healthcare didn't think so :-p)

The "L" word : On their terms (hereinva - 2/8/2007 10:54:30 AM)

Seems that many decades of demonizing the "liberal cause" has made its impact...The CON'servative loudspeakers often associate "Liberal" with "hippies, sandals, candlemaking, tye-dying, granola eating, whimpy, loosy-goosy morals, "tax raising" etc. Images of the counter culture 60's comes to mind. CON'servatives have been effective at the "bashing" game. How many Virginia Democratic legislators call themselves
"liberal"...my guess is ZERO ZIP NADA.

Yet how many Virginia Democratic legislators are fighting for
better health care, cleaner environment, OPEN AND ACCOUNTABLE
government, freedom to speak-up at public hearings, better schools, and supporting women's self sovereignty in health care decisions ??? My guess is most, if not all.

Its a new Century...any wordsmiths/word wizards able to come up with another term ????

"Compassionate Conservative" : "we are so sorry that you lost your job,don't have any healthcare coverage, or retirement benefits- we feel your pain."

Myth (Hans Mast - 2/8/2007 2:01:29 PM)

* 62% of Americans don't want Roe v. Wade overturned

SecondLookProject.org:

#3 Myth:Most Americans favor U.S. abortion law.

FACT: Most Americans actually oppose it.

#3 Myth: Most Americans favor U.S. abortion law.

Fact:

A recent Harris Interactive poll claims 52% of Americans favor Roe v. Wade and 47% oppose it.[11] But the poll describes Roe as "the U.S. Supreme Court decision making abortions up to three months of pregnancy legal."

That's wrong. The fact is, Roe made abortion legal through all 9 months of pregnancy.[12]

In the same poll, 72% of Americans said abortion should be illegal in the second three months of pregnancy, and 86% said abortion should be illegal in the last three months of pregnancy.

Even support for abortion in the first three months is open to question. In a 2004 Zogby International poll, 61% of Americans said abortion should not be permitted after the fetal heartbeat has begun.[13] This occurs in the first month.[14]

So why do 52% of Americans say they favor Roe v. Wade?

Because they don't really know what Roe did.

I'm not trying to change anyone's opinion here. I'm just saying, if you're strategizing about how to attract voters to the Democratic Party, you'll want to know what people really think. Trickily worded polls are useful to try to bludgeon legislation through or change people's minds. However, when you're strategizing, you'll want accurate information.