Five Progressives In Swing Districts Are Bucking The Tide

[savalez]

Source: HuffPo

The 1980 election that brought Ronald Reagan to power also swept out a bloc of liberal champions -- George McGovern, Birch Bayh, Frank Church, Warren Magnuson, Gaylord Nelson, Jacob Javits -- who had spent a generation or more advancing progressive causes. The washout swept the ground from under the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, planting the seed that would grow into the idea that Democrats' path to power lies through the center. A generation of New Democratic centrism would follow, personified by Birch's son, Evan, who took the lesson to heart and ran far from his father's liberal legacy when he entered politics.

In 2010, a handful of House Democrats have an opportunity to prove that maxim wrong and to demonstrate that even in a tough year, by standing up for core progressive values, a Democrat can win a tough race.

Tom Perriello in Virginia, Carol Shea-Porter in New Hampshire, Alan Grayson in Florida, Mary Jo Kilroy in Ohio and John Hall in New York all represent swing districts and have cast votes that Washington consultants label "tough." Those tough votes, though, are paying off in unexpected ways: By bucking the conventional wisdom, the progressive Democrats have locked down support among their base and are winning over independents, while Blue Dogs face a dispirited electorate unsure what they stand for.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/13/breaking-the-wave-five-pr_n_715026.html

[catgirl]

1. Carol Shea-Porter is on fire

I recently attended a fundraiser for her. She is such a passionate person. She's in politics for the right reasons.
I can't imagine anyone beating her in the general.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. It takes a special breed of progressive politician

who can circumvent the RW-owned M$M to get their message out.

[lsewpershad]

3. 'bout Time

[Vincardog]

4. while Blue Dogs face a dispirited electorate unsure what they stand for.

I know what they stand for and it is the SAME thing the GOP stands for.

[fascisthunter]

5. Exactly

[xchrom]

6. Awesome! Nt

[mmonk]

7. Until the party figures this out,

we will continue to struggle. The Blue Dogs have to go.

[PSPS]

8. Will Obama pay any attention to this? Maybe he can learn something.

[No Elephants]

9. We need to stop using "progressive." Given a PNACer heads the Progressive Policy Institute and

every Dem neocon cum neolib mouths "progressive," the word simply has no meaning anymore. Progressive, as opposed to what? Anyone admitting to regressive policies lately?


Rethugs went out of their way to discredit "liberal," and we caved. We either need to reclaim it proudly or find a new word. "Prgressive" is meaningless bs, though.

[BeFree]

10. Regressive policies? Yep

Against HCR, against clean energy, against equal rights... the list goes on an on.

Actually, the apt description for us is Left.

They want to take our rights, we want to be Left alone in our pursuit of happiness.

And in that pursuit we need to be constantly making progress.

Don't let them define you. The Left stands for progress so we are also progressives.