Contrary to popular belief, which has professed a coming 'progressive' revolution for years, it won't happen electorally. Yes, it will be pretty impossible for the Republicans to win a national election from here on out. Yes, the Senate sets up well for the Democrats in 2016 and changing demographics makes it likely that state legislatures & the House will start to flip later in this decade.
But that won't be a 'progressive' revolution anymore than that of 2006 and 2008. The same interests will be at the table, making the same demands, creating the same confusion as to what the way forward needs to be, compromising the same legislation they always write.
I think that we as a people need to realize that our government has gotten beyond the voting populace. It might always have been beyond the voting populace - it was set up that way to begin with, with an electoral college to negate the popular vote and a 'higher house' body to ensure that the less populated states [read slave states] had disproportionate representation.
The real coming 'progressive' revolution is not coming within this system. It, by necessity, will come from without. It will come as global capitalism continues to cannibalize itself. It will come as technology continues to displace the ability of increasing numbers of people to make a living. It will come as the environmental catastrophes of climate change demolish cities, fields and economic centers.
It comes down to people. Not just American voters. Not just progressives. It comes down to actual people - billions and billions of people. And there are billions of more people than there are assholes who run any particular country. And even the US military can't kill all of them.
I believe in civil society. I think that all of humanity should do everything it can to preserve it. I think we need to do everything in our power to elect and support representatives that work toward that goal.
But in reality the democracy of survival will win out. And if anyone is interested in the survival of our species, our focus should be on the environmental sustainability of our species.
The ever-promised 'coming' of 'progressive dominance' pales in comparison - and will certainly never address the actual problem, even if it does materialize.