We need a grass-roots movement to defend the term "progressive"

[Syrinx]

The Orwellians and Luntzians have effectively poisoned the word "liberal." And, now, they are doing the same thing to "progressive."

Come to think of it, let's take back "liberal," while we're at it.

And let's poison the word "conservative," by actively exposing and promoting what it has come to really mean today.

I actually hate these word games, but the greed-heads are always on the attack, and we are basically unarmed.

The left, such as it is, needs to learn to fight back.

Hey, what's Russ Feingold up to these days?

And replace Jay Carney with George Lakoff.

And while I'm fantasizing, let me spend the night with Carney's wife. Hubba hubba. :)

[mmonk]

1. We also need to defend the term from those that use it to describe

themselves when they not.

[Syrinx]

2. indeed

[HereSince1628]

3. Re Russ

www.progressivesunited.com

[mmonk]

4. I am a member.

We need more to battle Citizens United.

[Rabblevox]

13. joined last week. anywhere Russ leads, I'll follow. (actually, help to lead) /nt

[mmonk]

16. Yes, that's it. Help to lead.

[Syrinx]

5. thanks for that. I had forgotten the url.

Russ Feingold is a great man.

[Poboy]

6. The Dems. have no 'game'. We have no language/message 'game', or

actual procedural game. Its pathetic and inexcusable. Its been going on for YEARS too.

[HereSince1628]

7. Well the professional dems probably do have a message game...

It could just be that the message creates such dissonance that our brains refuse to accept it as the message.

[elocs]

8. For years we have allowed Republicans to define us, label us, and control the debate and its terms.

Democrats always seem to be on the defensive, and too often our representatives are eager to compromise and embrace bipartisanship so we may be thrown crumbs by the other side. Any line drawn by Democrats always seems to be done with chalk.

Yes, Republicans are far better at the language/message game than are Democrats.

[leveymg]

9. That's because "liberals" who run the Party won't hire progressives who have game.

The DNC/DCCC regulars, and particularly the Capitol Hill pollsters and consulting firms, have the game locked up to themselves. These are, by and large, the same tired Clintonite triangulators who've been running Democratic Party policy and losing elections since the 1980s.

You want creativity and message play? Look elsewhere. But, someone needs to put up the money to create an alternative structure.

[reformist2]

10. If "regressive" ever gains popularity, I'm outta here.

[aquart]

11. Pasture pastry.

The root of liberal means HEART. American hearts SHOULD be bleeding over what Republican radicals are doing. Take back liberal and USE a bleeding heart as the symbol. Stop running from the best thing about Americans.

Great nations are not made of rugged individuals standing alone against all odds. They are made of communities banding together to help each other. Paul Revere didn't stand and fight the British alone. He alerted other communities which had pledged their support.

Even American corporations didn't go it alone. When the Chicago Tribune resumed printing several days after the great fire, they included a long list of thank yous to other cities and papers who had sent supplies to replace what was burned.

But the purpose of a corporation is to make a profit. The purpose of a nation is to promote and protect the well-being of its citizens. All of them. Let's go back to doing that.

[Rabblevox]

12. I'm a progressive, and a liberal, and no shame in my game...

and I refuse to take shit from anyone who doesn't like either word. I will continue to fight corporate greed-heads, warmongers, republicans, and tea-baggers (OK, I guess that was redundant)

And let's take back the word "Conservative" while we're at it. At one time, being Conservative meant: fiscal restraint, avoidance of foreign wars, controlling the power of the Federal Government, and a deep respect for the constitution.

Those are things I support too, which modern "conservatives" seem to have completely abandoned.

[OneGrassRoot]

14. Maybe some creative type can create a "School House Rocks" type of clip...

to educate about the terms liberal and progressive.

I agree. We MUST own these words and fight back. I don't necessarily want to denigrate conservatives (though it's hard not to for the extreme right-wingers), but DO want to focus on standing up for progressive ideals, starting with the words themselves.

:thumbsup:

[deutsey]

15. We need a "Why We Fight"-style campaign similar to those WWII films

that used the "two worlds" metaphor, one slave, the other free. They showed what the world would be like under fascism and what it is in our way of life that is worth fighting for against fascism.

We could do the same with progressivism/liberalism vs. corporatism/rightwingers. Clearly show what the world was like before progressive and liberal gains last century.

[Hannah Bell]

17. we need a grassroots progressive movement that actually does something

other than defend words.

if you achieve progressive things, there's no need to defend words.

it's because there's no action that the word is vulnerable.