We Need a Bigger Tent: On Rebranding "Conservative" and "REPUBLICAN" with "AMERICAN"

Why did those stupid, clueless liberals think that calling themselves "progressives" would be an improvement? I know "stupid, clueless liberals" is a triple redundancy, but still . . .

Are they aware of the Scientology-like creep factor in the term "progressive?" Many people have considered progressives to be worse than liberals for quite some time, especially those older folks who vote in greater numbers than anyone else.

And if "liberal/progressives" needed a bigger clue bat than Nov. 2nd that the rebranding was a breathtakingly stupid move, then they are hopeless.

Posted by Don Rodrigo at November 12, 2010 4:35 PM

I suggest that the current crop of Puritanical Progressives should re-brand themselves "Regulataxabanarians" They want to ban everything that they can't tax or regulate.

JWM

Posted by jwm at November 12, 2010 4:52 PM

I guess GDI, my preferred appellation, short for God-d***ed Independent, is a little too in-your-face.

Posted by Scott at November 12, 2010 5:11 PM

Hillary may think of the term progressive as a prettified word for liberal, but a communist will tell you progressive means communist. Which she is not. She's fascist.

Posted by james wilson at November 12, 2010 5:53 PM

Very well put.

An American is to be by choice, and it is a wonderful thing. And I know this by the old question - "Which way are the rafts headed?"

Posted by Mikey NTH at November 12, 2010 9:29 PM

American First

Posted by ELC at November 13, 2010 8:00 AM

I think the paradigm of "American" vs. "Progressive" is a good one.

Indignant progressives will accuse you of implying they're not American, to which you can reply: "OK."

Posted by Don Rodrigo at November 13, 2010 11:51 AM

Nice.

Posted by dr kill at November 14, 2010 7:09 AM

Neither fish nor fowl, lib nor conservative, but...
American! If we must be moderate, can we be
aggressively moderate? The middle of the road is reserved
for yellow stripes and flat armadillos. Quo vadis?

Posted by Robert at November 14, 2010 9:15 AM

That's a great idea, Gerard. I'm on board.

Posted by rickl at November 14, 2010 10:10 PM

Genius. Simple, pithy and powerful. Thanks Gerard.

This type of reframing of debates and viewpoints is sorely needed, and has been for a long time. Another reframing that I point to, and that most of us ignored until this election: taxpayers vs. the alliance of government, lobbyists, rent-seekers and other blood-suckers. I wrote this about that: When cynicism is a virtue.

Posted by Jeff Brokaw at November 15, 2010 6:15 AM

Conservatives rebranding themselves as Americans? If only they'd take it to heart.

I suspect that it would be more accurate to rebrand yourselves as academic nihilists.

For example, on DDT, do you take the position that we can help other nations beat malaria the way we did, by improving housing by improving incomes? Or did you bite the old anti-science (that is, Not American) dogma that because DDT doesn't cause cancer in humans, it must be effective against mosquitoes, never pausing to ask for any evidence?

On creationism, do you defend the religious rights of a few to subject the many to inanity, or do you condemn creationism as morally repugnant because we shouldn't lie to children?

American? Not yet, not by a long way.

Posted by Ed Darrell at November 22, 2010 7:58 AM