By Josh Lustig
[Ed. note: This guest post was submitted in response to the Nov. 10 - 16, 2008 prompt of the week.]
More important might be the question: Did the term ever have a strict easy-to-understand definition? If the answer is yes, then let’s all be thankful for its newly appointed champion, President-elect Barack Obama.
If the answer is no, then Lord help us.
Fact is, progressivism is as devoid of meaning as any political persuasion. It was born of necessity and recently co-opted of sheer entitlement by countless different special interests. When the Republican public relations machine turned "liberal" into a dirty word, we fought fire with fire – a sort of political "rebranding." No group save the radical fringes would argue against progress, right?
Turns out it depends on how you define it.
The unfortunate part for the 60-some odd-million who turned out for the Democrats this year? All of them disagree on the definition. As vague as the concept of an "American Dream" or the framers' constitutional intent, this thing called progress can't be defined by an election.
This is the same reason why the Republican Party failed -- it became a party that stood for so many different conflicting ideas that when it came to actual governing, it stood for nothing. Fiscal conservatives looked on with horror as gay marriage was demonized in their name. Conversely, the Bible-thumpers truly abhorred the idea of anyone’s paws in their social security fund. And thus, the party crumbled.
The two-party system is a blessing in terms of viable electability, but it’s a goddamn nightmare when you have to prioritize the millions of people with different ideas who got you into office in the first place. Immigration or economic justice? Health care or jump-starting the Israeli-Palestinian peace process? The Democrats will pick at their own peril -- those causes left unchampioned will not disappear quietly.
Things will undoubtedly become clearer for "progressives" as interest groups of all persuasions brutally claw at one another for prominence on the post-inauguration Judgment Day of January 21. Just from my own casual glancing across the ‘Net, several massive groups are already planning to raid our nation’s capital, demanding their slice of change pie. Many are great causes, but in a slow government with severely limited resources, there will be losers.
The simple fact is encouraging increased participation in government never works in any one direction. While it's undeniable that most Americans believe our nation is on the wrong track, labeling all of the "change" contingency under the banner of progressivism will not be pretty -- eventually these people will disagree.
A word like progressivism will never be a substitute for good ideas. Starry-eyed idealists across America should embrace it... cautiously.
Josh Lustig was born, raised, and educated in the Washington D.C. metro area. He is slowly recovering from a 13-hour workday recruiting geriatrics to recite Democratic talking points in order to get a senator elected. Addicted to politics and travel, his life plan involves sleeping, writing, and exploring everything west of the Mississippi.
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