Leftward Ho: A Liberal Resurgence?

These are balmy days on the American left — genuine, uncharacteristic sunniness unpolluted by some fluky political climate change. There is even talk of a — stutter, clear-throat, perish-thought — liberal resurgence. Or, treading gingerly, a “liberal moment.”

“Hell, ya, this is a liberal moment,” exults Thomas Frank, author of “What’s the Matter With Kansas?” — and yes, he even calls himself a “liberal” writer, eschewing the sleeker “progressive” stage name that many lefties are preferring these days. He declares this “liberal moment” loud and proud. Until the inevitable qualifier comes.

“A potentially liberal moment,” Mr. Frank says, “assuming that liberal politicians can seize the moment and get beyond their usual plague of incompetence.”

Oh, snap. Liberal optimism, thy name is caution and caveat. But it is optimism nonetheless, and well-founded, too, say Mr. Frank and a broad spectrum of political thinkers and leaders. And, they say, the evidence goes beyond the obvious indicators — the ascendance of Democrats in the House and Senate, President Bush’s second-term belly-flop and poll numbers showing the Democratic Party trending left and the nation’s political center trending Democratic.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/18/weekinreview/18liebovich.html?_r=1&ref=weekinreview&oref=slogin

Gotta love the broadstrokes from someone who walks into the middle of a story and pretends to know the entire narrative. This Progressive has called himself as much since the 70's and also calls himself a Liberal. I don't see the two being exclusive or "sleek" or "trendy". They compliment one another and generally are indistinguished as both revolve and evolve around the same ideals.

Trending left? Of course the corporate media, that still has it's head firmly up the right wing's ass, can't see what's going on as a total rejection of the right and a return of this country to a more centrist and moderate view.

I distinctly remember the term being used in this context in the early 80's, when I was in college.

Keywords: Theodore Roosevelt, Robert LaFollette

This is so typical of the corporate media's total fishbowl view of the world...skewed heavily by 20 years of right wing brow beating.

Cheers...

:hi:

I'll believe that one when I actually see it.

brite hum, woof blitzer, coultergiest and limbah-humbug etc are addicted to heavy duty teams of bodyguards, who are on duty 24/7, and that cost alot. i don't think the media perves are suddenly giving bj's for free as their services are required more now then ever...