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Politics : View from the Center and Left
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To: koan who wrote (480576)10/3/2021 2:33:41 PM
From: JohnM1 Recommendation

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epicure

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Interesting post, koan. I'm less interested in the labels part of this than the history itself.

The one exception would be Gore, who was a fine progressive, but he lost to Bush who played the homophobia card in Ohio.

In the binary contrast between "moderates" and "progressives", I wouldn't have called Gore a "progressive". What led you to this conclusion? The only view of which I am aware would be his views on climate change. Well ahead of his time. But can't think of any other. Clinton thought of him as a soulmate.

But what did a moderate really mean? Humphrey was a moderate who also supported the Viet Nam war at a time when the progressives were protesting it in the streets in the 60's and brought down LBJ.

My take on Humphrey was a bit murkier. I saw him as the liberal/progressive opposition to a moderate based JFK in 1960. In 1968, I thought he would have ended the Vietnam War had he been elected. His support for LBJ's policies was tepid, at best. And he was constantly signaling to the left. Also I alway saw his social policies as being on the liberal side.

So what Krugman, who is very smart, is pointing out is that the "Democratic "moderates" sort of married the right wing to win elections, but in the process lost their soul.


"Lost their soul" strikes me as a bit harsh. It's clearly possible to hold, in a principled way, so called moderate positions. The classic one is conservative in fiscal matters and liberal in social matters. I disagree vigorously but I don't see how the position can be characterized as without soul.
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