Why Progressives are Losing the National Debate

[KoKo]

Why Progressives are Losing the National Debate
By Yoni Appelbaum

Aug 7 2011, 2:00 PM ET
As progressives struggle in the polls, they might look back to their namesakes for inspiration



Americans are grappling with struggling markets, captured regulators, languishing employment, and rising inequality. Self-identified progressives, mostly found on or to the left of the Democratic Party, have for years made these issues central to their agenda. The moment seems ripe for the popular embrace of progressive policies. Instead, progressives find themselves embattled. "Voters feel ever more estranged from government -- and...they associate Democrats with government," explains Democratic pollster Stan Greenberg. The result is that "a crisis of government legitimacy is a crisis of liberalism."

That has not always been so. At the beginning of the last century, the movement from which modern-day progressives take their name capitalized on a crisis of government legitimacy to increase dramatically the scope, scale and responsibilities of government. If progressives wish to recapture popular support, they might reflect on that earlier example.

Progressivism, then as now, was less a coherent ideology than a set of loosely allied and sometimes starkly opposed groups and beliefs. Wikipedia defines Progressivism as "a political attitude favoring or advocating changes or reform through governmental action." That captures, with reasonable accuracy, its current connotations. But it misses the more important half of the original progressive project. Progressives did not merely seek to use government as an instrument of reform. As historian Robert Wiebe has argued, they pursued a revolutionary approach to government itself.

Progressives offered a clear diagnosis of what ailed the body politic: corrupt politicians. They had been captured by party machines and powerful businesses, and labored on behalf of their patrons and themselves instead of the people. Advancing the public interest, it followed, would first require radical, structural reforms of government.

More and a good read that makes sense at......


http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/08/why-progressives-are-losing-the-national-debate/242893/

[Warpy]

1. Yeah, just blame the victims

instead of clearly identifying the culprit: a corrupt, overconcentrated corporate media which has systematically excluded progressive voices for over three decades.

[Bonhomme Richard]

2. +1000 n/t

[SteveM]

6. True 'nuff. MSM: "The GOP base vs. the Democratic Left." crap.

[Demeter]

12. Corruption in all levels of government guarantees that Progressivism is shut out

There's no profit, no bribes, no good ole boy network in Progressivism. It's a meritocracy and a work of love. It's reality-based. It's inherently fair and equal opportunity.

While it isn't anti-corporate, it's definitely anti-crime.

Progressivism cannot get a foothold under present circumstances. Obama's first few months proved that the entire system had fallen to the pirates.

[PSPS]

3. No need for this long-winded article. The answer is simple: the GOP owns the media.

[KoKo]

10. And when we activist Dems raised RUKUS after Stolen Election...what did they do?

Our Democrats did SHIT. Only Michael Copps at the FCC tried to hold the line against the onslaught..and what happened to Michael Copps once Obama became President after all the shit we Dems had taken from the RW Christian and Limbaugh type Media?

Obama brought in his own GUY...who shut EVERYTHING DOWN. Yes. without a full media (and that's not Rachel, O'Donnell and Matthews on MSNBC...we are LOST. Obama did shit about Media Conglomeration. He doesn't care. He's said that neither he nor Michelle watch Cable or Media.

[Speck Tater]

4. Yet another "What prgoressives did wrong" piece. In truth, our Dem. politicians did everything right

to achieve their true goals of serving their wealthy overlords.

[corpseratemedia]

5. The "Progressives"

who are for the most part "Old Base (i.e. not republican platform) Democrats," are right and their predictions are right, it's the policy-makers and their propagandists who are consistently wrong.

[SteveM]

7. Mainly because progressives don't have a party. nt

[AndyTiedye]

8. Progressives Aren't Even INVITED to the National Debate

The "national debate" happens on the Tee Vee, and it is between conservatives and people who are even more conservative.
Usually they have only Republicans. If there are any Democrats at all, they are the most blue-dog boll-weevil ones they can find.
Their favorite "Democrat" is Joe Lieberman.

[KoKo]

11. +!!!!!!!!!!

[Doctor_J]

9. I hope the writer didn't get paid too much for this

These so-called analysts refuse to address the blatant truth - we're losing because we have no media access, and the "mainstream" media is completely controlled by ultra-right-wing entities.

[andym]

13. The point is that Reagan's "Government is the problem" continues to weaken progressivism

The article mentions that many people still distrust government, because it is too complex, inefficient and intrusive (many with a conservative bent) or because it is corrupt (corporate influence).

That means that progressives who want to use the government to change society (e.g. Medicare for All) can't get enough traction, because people have been convinced that government will make things expensive and unworkable.

There needs to be a strong counter movement that shows how much good the government does (and not dwell on its failings), like NIH based research to treat and cure diseases for example. Otherwise, it will be difficult to get a progressive agenda, given the power of the conservative media.