A Progressive Raises the Bold Flag

The words, they are a changin'.

At the YouTube debate, Hillary Clinton says she's a progressive and not a liberal. A new survey suggests progressive *is* more acceptable as a political descriptor. Progressive actually polls better than conservative!

Interesting. My personal definition has always been that a progressive is a liberal who chooses to take action, that liberal is a set of attitudes, a conversation around the pool, not a call to battle. I always thought of a progressive as a liberal with fire in his/her eye.

I understand this definition is personal, eccentric and unhistorical, but it helps explain why I am delighted that calling myself a progressive is now the preferred choice, tactically speaking, a label that builds support for the things I care about rather than scaring people away.

Look at me: Progressive!

It's a bold and lovely word, isn't it?