progressive
[pruh-gres-iv]
adjective
favoring or advocating progress, change, improvement, or reform, as opposed to wishing to maintain things as they are, especially in political matters: a progressive mayor.
making progress toward better conditions; employing or advocating more enlightened or liberal ideas, new or experimental methods, etc.: a progressive community.
characterized by such progress, or by continuous improvement.
There’s a significant debate taking place in New Hampshire these days about which Democrat is most worthy of claiming the “Progressive” mantle. That this matters in New Hampshire would seem to indicate it’s something the other 49 states should be considering as well…because it does matter. For many of us who claim the Progressive philosophy as our own, we want to know who will best represent our values. Who’s spent their careers fighting for Progressive values? Who’s stake their political prospects on being an agent of change? Likewise, who’s a latecomer to the party? Who, though now loudly proclaiming themselves a Progressive, is more noted for safer centrist politics?
From my perspective, and I’m by no means a neutral or dispassionate observer, the only Democrat who can make a legitimate claim to being a Progressive is Bernie Sanders. Sanders has based his career on pursuing issues close to the hearts of Progressive: tax fairness, income inequality, worker’s rights, health care, gender equity, marriage quality, the social safety net…and the list goes on. Clinton, though she was an early proponent of universal health care, has demonstrated herself to be anything but a Progressive. That doesn’t make her a bad candidate or a poor choice…just not the right choice. How someone who’s spent her political career presenting herself as a centrist can now credibly claim to be the most worthy Progressive Democrat defies understanding…and credibility.
Most progressives that I know really do not raise millions of dollars from Wall Street.
Many of Clinton’s positions have “evolved” over time, and while that can probably be said for most of us, that “evolution” in too many cases has been timed for maximum political expedience. I’ve always felt that, if anything, Clinton is a Liberal Republican…not necessarily a bad thing, but certainly nothing that would lend credence to her claims of being the REAL Progressive in the race.
Let’s not kid ourselves into believing that Hillary Clinton, as otherwise capable and qualified as she most certainly should be considered to be, can claim a lifelong commitment to fighting for Progressive values. She’s not the one who’s spent her career fighting for Progressive values before being called a Progressive was even widely considered to be a good thing.
That would be Bernie Sanders you’re thinking of.
