I just found out today I had been kicked out of a "progressive" Facebook group. This illustrates why I consider myself a Liberal and not a progressive. Apparently, progressives believe that it is dangerous and divisive to criticize a Democratic president. Liberals believe calling a right of center Republican masquerading as a Democratic president is delusional. We believe that cherry picking the good things he's done while ignoring the bad stuff makes no sense because to ignore all that bad stuff is to perpetuate electing people to the presidency who will do some good but also do some really bad stuff that's going to hurt a lot of people for years to come.
Call me either an idealist or a naysayer, but I’m at the point where I want a president I can be truly proud of; a president who puts people before banks, who is truly liberal and not only when it comes to certain social issues. If we continue to stick to the party line and support Obama just because he’s a Democrat, then we’re doomed to repeat this error in 2014 if Hillary Clinton is elected. What people like the administrator of the ‘progressive” group fail to take into consideration is that many people vote Republican because they see no difference between that candidate and the Democratic one, or they took a leap of faith and voted for the Democrat in the last election and feel they got burned.
A great many people who call themselves conservatives would vote for a liberal candidate if that person could break down his stance on the issues so that people could clearly see how they would benefit. Obama remains horribly inept at communication which is why so many people still oppose the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act but readily support the different provisions that benefit them personally. It’s why many people favor cutting entitlements spending until it’s explained to them that these are not entitlements and cutting the programs will hurt them in their senior years or when they get seriously ill.
Progressive group administrator, I’m not a “progressive” Democratic sheep and so, you’re right, I didn’t belong in your group. I DON’T want Hillary in 2016. I don’t even want Michelle. I want a president with true liberal bona fides who embraces and will fight for actual change. That person may not be a Democrat but from an entirely new coalition party. I don’t want to again be forced to vote for someone who talks “change” but maintains business (literally) as usual. I don’t want “progressive” change in small increments, which is a definition of progressive. I want as much change as a truly effective, powerful and competent president can push through Congress. We saw that during the FDR and LBJ administrations. This country is sick; it may be dying, and it needs a Liberal dose of medicine to cure it.