I don't know and I can't say—all I can say is that repudiating Progressivism is the wrong path. In the U.S. in particular the term is a slur, thanks in no small part to Clinton NeoLiberals who fling it about like Joe McCarthy did "Communism!", because the people it most benefits have been brainwashed into thinking it means a lack of choices, painful taxation, and heavy oppression.
The first person I saw who seemed able to make the people who reject Progressive ideas and principles rethink their stance, even a little, was Sen. Bernie Sanders—he didn't say it was easy, he didn't say it would be cheap, but he DID say with everybody pulling together we could succeed. Watching a not-insignificant number of Republicans discuss supporting an old man who openly admits to being a "Democratic Socialist", not because they necessarily believe what he's offering but because they believe him, was a welcome shock and pleasant surprise for me.
By contrast, what his primary opponent Hillary Rodham Clinton offered was "More of the Same that You Hate So Much Because it Benefits me! Me! ME!"—she didn't even get behind raising the Minimum Wage until she saw how popular it was with voters when BERNIE did it, because it might make corporate profits a bit less bloated....
Joe Biden has, all things considered, leaned closer to Bernie than Hillary as President—not near close ENOUGH, but further than I believed he was capable of bending. That's why I'm willing to give him a second chance, especially given the alternative is Donald "Looney Tunes Hitler" Trump.
I ride hard for Bernie Sanders, because he's willing to work for people like my largely-Republican family, and convince them that his solutions WORK. Unfortunately he's old—older than Joe Biden, who is being beaten down by the Mainstream Media narrative that he's a doddering senile fool, while conveniently handwaving away that Donald Trump is only a couple years younger and clearly has his brains leaking out his ears! (In case you wondered by he REALLY wore that Maxi-Pad on his ear at the Republican Convention.)
What we need is not more appeasement of the Right—er, "Center", but more young, energetic Bernie Sanderses spreading the Progressivism-For-All message. I think Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the start of that, even though her youth, attractiveness, and Latina heritage results in UGLY Lust/Hate Fantasies in the curdled brains of the Right and Center! If she can continue to navigate that successfully, she could be the start of a new Progressive direction for either the Democratic Party, or whatever takes its place....
I am temperamentally the most boring of political creatures; an incrementalist middle-aged liberal. I agree with much of what you're saying (and, incidentally, still have some fondness for Bill Clinton, for all of his many weaknesses, because he was good at making the argument that policy was a way to help people -- his convention speech about the Affordable Care Act was really good political communication).
I also think that, most of the time, political changes doesn't come from convincing everybody of a political vision, it comes from willing elections and passing legislation which is, inevitably, full of compromises and half-measures (I appreciated Al Franken quoting Barney Frank (and I'll paraphrase), "the only time in my life that I have voted for someone who shared all of my beliefs was when I voted for myself -- in my first campaign).
That said, it's such a feeling of relief to see a politician who can convince people that their ideas WORK, as you say.
I don't know and I can't say—all I can say is that repudiating Progressivism is the wrong path. In the U.S. in particular the term is a slur, thanks in no small part to Clinton NeoLiberals who fling it about like Joe McCarthy did "Communism!", because the people it most benefits have been brainwashed into thinking it means a lack of choices, painful taxation, and heavy oppression.
The first person I saw who seemed able to make the people who reject Progressive ideas and principles rethink their stance, even a little, was Sen. Bernie Sanders—he didn't say it was easy, he didn't say it would be cheap, but he DID say with everybody pulling together we could succeed. Watching a not-insignificant number of Republicans discuss supporting an old man who openly admits to being a "Democratic Socialist", not because they necessarily believe what he's offering but because they believe him, was a welcome shock and pleasant surprise for me.
By contrast, what his primary opponent Hillary Rodham Clinton offered was "More of the Same that You Hate So Much Because it Benefits me! Me! ME!"—she didn't even get behind raising the Minimum Wage until she saw how popular it was with voters when BERNIE did it, because it might make corporate profits a bit less bloated....
Joe Biden has, all things considered, leaned closer to Bernie than Hillary as President—not near close ENOUGH, but further than I believed he was capable of bending. That's why I'm willing to give him a second chance, especially given the alternative is Donald "Looney Tunes Hitler" Trump.
I ride hard for Bernie Sanders, because he's willing to work for people like my largely-Republican family, and convince them that his solutions WORK. Unfortunately he's old—older than Joe Biden, who is being beaten down by the Mainstream Media narrative that he's a doddering senile fool, while conveniently handwaving away that Donald Trump is only a couple years younger and clearly has his brains leaking out his ears! (In case you wondered by he REALLY wore that Maxi-Pad on his ear at the Republican Convention.)
What we need is not more appeasement of the Right—er, "Center", but more young, energetic Bernie Sanderses spreading the Progressivism-For-All message. I think Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is the start of that, even though her youth, attractiveness, and Latina heritage results in UGLY Lust/Hate Fantasies in the curdled brains of the Right and Center! If she can continue to navigate that successfully, she could be the start of a new Progressive direction for either the Democratic Party, or whatever takes its place....
I am temperamentally the most boring of political creatures; an incrementalist middle-aged liberal. I agree with much of what you're saying (and, incidentally, still have some fondness for Bill Clinton, for all of his many weaknesses, because he was good at making the argument that policy was a way to help people -- his convention speech about the Affordable Care Act was really good political communication).
I also think that, most of the time, political changes doesn't come from convincing everybody of a political vision, it comes from willing elections and passing legislation which is, inevitably, full of compromises and half-measures (I appreciated Al Franken quoting Barney Frank (and I'll paraphrase), "the only time in my life that I have voted for someone who shared all of my beliefs was when I voted for myself -- in my first campaign).
That said, it's such a feeling of relief to see a politician who can convince people that their ideas WORK, as you say.