So long, liberals
"Democrats are being advised to run ... from the liberal label, and instead recast themselves as 'progressives,' according to a private report by the liberal think tank The Center for American Progress," CNN's Steve Turnham writes in the Morning Grind column at www.cnn.com.
"The report, based on extensive voter focus groups and a private national poll found that the 'right' has succeeded in defining Democrats as liberal. And that, apparently, is very bad. 'The word liberal is associated closely with a well-meaning, admirable, but ultimately weak, naive and ineffective approach to politics and governance,' said the report, which was presented last week by PowerPoint to a closed meeting of Senate Democrats," Mr. Turnham said.
"It advised a concerted party effort to adopt a new label, 'progressive,' which, while still poorly defined, 'is overwhelmingly associated with positive attributes.'
"The Center for American Progress is run by former Clinton Chief of Staff John Podesta and is often described as an ideas factory for Hillary Clinton's '08 campaign.
"The report offers some practical advice:
"Use the terms 'middle class' and 'for the people by the people.'; never say that government is the solution to our problems; call on Americans to sacrifice for the greater good; invoke 'moral' and 'religious' values and say 'We believe in taking strong military action if we are threatened.' " |
