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sinkingfeeling

(51,274 posts)
Fri Jan 17, 2014, 11:15 AM Jan 2014

America is becoming more liberal by Steve Rosenthal

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/american-politics-are-moving-to-the-left/2014/01/16/30161350-7885-11e3-af7f-13bf0e9965f6_story.html

Not too long ago, everyone was declaring American politics a lost cause for progressives. The religious right supposedly had a stranglehold on elections. Then it was the tea party that had the political establishment — initially Democrats and Republicans — quaking. The media and the general public took hold of a narrative parroted by conservative candidates and opinion leaders: The United States was a “center-right” nation.

But after two consecutive elections in which the Democratic candidate for president garnered more than 50 percent of the vote — a one-two punch last achieved by Franklin Roosevelt — it is worth questioning that assumption. The country is getting more diverse, and as the proportion of white voters shrinks, so, too, does the conservative base. As demographics shift, so do political preferences — in this case, toward the left. A close examination of U.S. attitudes in the past decade-plus reveals that the United States is steadily becoming more progressive.

It is more than an interesting observation that America now leans left. This should be a guiding light for politicians. With the knowledge that most Americans are, in fact, behind them, Democrats no longer need to fear running on their beliefs. They should stop letting special interests on the right hold ideas and ideals hostage and start listening to voters.

Progressives have an opportunity not only to come into the mainstream but also to lead — and shape public opinion. President Obama began to do just that last month with a speech decrying income inequality. To feed the vacuum of economic discontent, Democrats ought to argue for populist solutions such as raising the minimum wage, raising taxes on millionaires and corporations, rebuilding infrastructure, investing in education and instituting paid sick leave. Americans crave solutions, and they are moving to the left to find them. Smart politicians ought to get ahead of them.
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America is becoming more liberal by Steve Rosenthal (Original Post) sinkingfeeling Jan 2014 OP
Couldn't agree much more ... Scuba Jan 2014 #1
too late. the corporate take over is too far along. cali Jan 2014 #2
thank you heaven05 Jan 2014 #3
I don't know about it setting one free, but it's absurd to deny the reality cali Jan 2014 #4
10-4 heaven05 Jan 2014 #5
Yep, Wall Street leans right. nt awoke_in_2003 Jan 2014 #6
not necessarily bossy22 Jan 2014 #7
On the cultural agenda they may be liberal but never on the financial one n/t Fumesucker Jan 2014 #8
That's what they'd like us to think, anyway. nt AverageJoe90 Jan 2014 #9
Probably so but should be granted enough benefit of the doubt to "evolve" from need. TheKentuckian Jan 2014 #10
 

cali

(114,904 posts)
4. I don't know about it setting one free, but it's absurd to deny the reality
Fri Jan 17, 2014, 12:21 PM
Jan 2014

that's so evident.

bossy22

(3,547 posts)
7. not necessarily
Fri Jan 17, 2014, 06:32 PM
Jan 2014

While there is a portion of them who openly speak out against liberal policies the vast majority would probably be put into the moderate category. There are many democratic donors who are connect to wall street

TheKentuckian

(24,934 posts)
10. Probably so but should be granted enough benefit of the doubt to "evolve" from need.
Sun Jan 19, 2014, 09:14 PM
Jan 2014

But no longer coddled when too pig headed to at least see that light

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