I agree with what you said, but I’ve also done canvassing in Indiana in 2018 for Joe Donnelly for midterms. Donnelly was a VERY moderate Democrat. He ended up losing his Senate seat and it wasn’t particularly close, and I canvassed quite a few Democrats who didn’t vote for him because they felt he wasn’t liberal enough.

45 years ago. We’ve been doing that all that time.

We have a more universal health care, better gun control laws, legal gay marriage, more failed attempts at restricting abortion than successes- and more support for the right to an abortion than ever, pot legalized in more states, more progressive women in Congress ever, more environmental protection (despite Trump's reversals).
Hell, 45 years ago Medicare for all wouldn't even be debated. You wouldn't see mixed race or same sex couples on TV let alone in commercials.

While America lurches loudly and clumsily to the right it inches quietly and consistently to the left.

for nearly 45 years, cost of higher education has sky-rocketed as has health care. The number of union jobs has been in precipitous decline due to union busting laws and outsourcing, employee benefits are way down compared to mid-70s, the percent of jobs that are not full-time and the number of people who work multiple jobs to make ends meet has skyrocketed.

The list goes on. The American middle and working classes have been in economic decline for nearly 5 decades due in large part to changes in and lack of adequate economic and labor policy.

It's absolutely true. Why do you think populism has and is growing in both major parties?