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Filed under: Conservatives — Pete Abel on July 27, 2007 @ 9:24 pm CEST
At the CNN/YouTube debate, Hillary outright walked (ran) away from the term “liberal” and bear-hugged “progressive” as her preferred moniker.
Other “progressives” apparently agree.
I suggested at CS, this afternoon, that maybe it’s time for conservatives to do the same, especially those (like me) who prefer the conservative paradigm articulated by Andrew Sullivan.
1 Alan
July 27, 2007 @ 9:52 pm CESTWhat about “stingy” or “old-fashioned”?
2 in2thefray
July 27, 2007 @ 10:18 pm CESTHistorically speaking Hilary is a Progressive. The Progressives were BIG into BIG government. Big on ignoring the Constitution ? No problem the current Bush/Cheney schism rates second place easy to the early Progs. Hil has told the truth when she termed herself a Progressive.
3 Interested
July 27, 2007 @ 10:19 pm CESTIt’s amazing how a little word change makes a difference when thought is put to it - it shouldn’t
People ike Pre-Owned over Used. and now Progressive over Liberal.
Course you can always tune up a car.
4 BGG
July 27, 2007 @ 11:28 pm CESTI commented on this language quite some time ago (I believe it was on this blog) and received replies to the effect of, “oh no, it’s not a trick, it’s really a more appropriate word…” or some such. Whatever. I still consider it a cheap marketing trick, and if conservatives can think up a more marketable, palatable, smooth-talking label they should go for it. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
5 Rich Horton
July 27, 2007 @ 11:36 pm CESTWell, if no one is using it, why don’t the Republicans start to call themselves “liberal”?
It is a word with a fine pedigree (fine at least way back in the day) and it would have the added bonus of making a hell of a lot more sense to our European friends.
6 mikkel
July 28, 2007 @ 2:59 am CESTI call myself progressive and not Liberal because I believe in basic “equality” and security for everybody as a primary goal. I’m almost pretty much a moral relativist, internationalist and think that global development is extremely important.
But I’m not a Liberal because I think that free markets are the best way to accomplish most of the goals, (just need some more progressive minded companies) the government should be pretty small, and teaching people how to care for themselves (and setting up small community organizations to help them) is better than centralized programs. By “equality” I don’t mean equal outcome but equal opportunity, so I don’t fret if someone is failing of their own accord. This is why I have given and will continue to give to kiva but won’t give to charities that focus entirely on free aid unless there is a crisis.
7 mikkel
July 28, 2007 @ 3:06 am CESTOh yeah, I got yelled at Liberals because I also said that a flat tax could be made that is actually more “progressive” in that it would help the lower-middle income bracket save more easily and give people more control over their lives.
8 Xel
July 28, 2007 @ 2:30 pm CESTThe current GOP using the word “liberal” with more credibility than the DNC? Uh-huh. Uh-hu-hu-hu-hu-hu.
I am glad that Hillary has chosen to separate her policies from the moniker “liberal” and opt for one that has more in common with “socialist”, which is good for actual liberals like me and also happens to be more truthful.
Now, if only people would stop calling Bush and his admirers “conservatives”.
9 BGG
July 28, 2007 @ 3:12 pm CESTNow, if only people would stop calling Bush and his admirers “conservatives”.
LOL, good point Xel.