The American Prospect has this op-ed piece by Paul Waldman, the author of Being Right is Not Enough: What Progressives Must Learn From Conservative Success, who argues that Americans are not really as center-right as political conventional wisdom would have it. Since the 1960s, most Americans fall under a description of being “symbolically conservative” but “operationally liberal” — people self-identify as being conservative while actually supporting most of the so-called “liberal agenda”. However, a full quarter of the population are more thoroughly “conflicted conservatives”; these are the so-called “swing voters” who will identify directly with the Republcan Party when it is in ascension, but are quick to disavow the party in times of disarry (like right now).
The problem for liberals…excuse me, progressives…is getting these wishy-washy people on board to support the swing of the pendulum back after years of Republican mis-management. Waldman says that while the Democratic Party seems to hold the cards for doing well in November, without the support of these people, it may be difficult to bring about any sort of progressive movement in government.
What Waldman doesn’t say in his piece, unfortunately, is that any chance of progressive reform in Washington next year is almost equally hampered by the rightward leaning positions of the two Democratic candidates. Today’s Electoral Vote.com post takes a look at the relative liberal-vs-conservative skew of the current United States Senate and reveals that both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are two of the least liberal Democrats. Interestingly, former Democratic candidates Joe Biden and Chris Dodd are even more conservative than Clinton or Obama. (To no one’s surprise, I assume, John McCain is rated as one of the most conservative senators.)
After 24 years of conservatism, interrupted only by the slightly-less-conservative Bill Clinton, the need for progressive reform is enormous. The swing voters are deserting the Republicans, the progressive voters are ripe for change, and only the hardcore right-wing faithful are left to stand with the failed Bush Administration. With two right-leaning moderates fighting for the Democratic nomination, it will take enormous effort to make any real progressive headway if either Clinton or Obama are elected.
