We are now talking about taking back the word "liberal", or not. Views.

[madfloridian]

Democrats are toying with the thought of taking back the word "liberal." Here are a couple of instances where it is already being discussed. Gingrich and Ralph Reed effectively tarnished it for years, so I hope they keep talking about it.

Here on the NewsHour with Lehrer, Dean and Brooks discuss the word. Audio available as well as script:

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/july-dec04/dean_7-28.html
SNIP..."JIM LEHRER: But to play devil's advocate with you, Governor, are you talking about making just stating right at the top that the Democratic Party is a liberal party, a party of liberals?

HOWARD DEAN: You know, had I become president I probably would have tried to rehabilitate the word liberal but that was not high on my agenda...." (Notice he is now using progressive for now.)

JIM LEHRER: Does the word liberal bother you?

HOWARD DEAN: No.

JIM LEHRER: It doesn't?

HOWARD DEAN: It doesn't bother me at all.

JIM LEHRER: Why not?

HOWARD DEAN: It means different things to different people. I think the Republicans have successfully turned the word liberal into a dirty word; I don't think it is.

Look, I think I'm a centrist but let's just suppose I, people want to -- call me a liberal. I balance budgets. I'm pro death penalty in some instances and I got AA ratings with the National Rife Association. I also have universal health insurance for every single child, virtually every single child in my state."

SNIP.."Does that make me a liberal? I don't care. People can decide for themselves, but I am as fiscally conservative and socially progressive and if you want to call that liberal, be my guest...."

Here's One Liberal You Can Call a Liberal.
http://south.nj.com/columns/ledger/moran/index.ssf?/base/columns-0/109117539154520.xml

SNIP..."BOSTON -- Howard Dean believes the Bush tax cuts should be repealed to finance universal health care. He is a steadfast supporter of abortion rights, and he signed the nation's first domestic partnership law for gays when he was governor of Vermont.
But don't call him a liberal. "

SNIP..."I think it's time to get beyond labels," he said yesterday after addressing New Jersey Democrats. "I don't think I am a liberal."

SNIP....."Some Democrats say it's time to come out of the closet, and reclaim the positive meaning they give the word.

"You can call me liberal," Sen. Jon Corzine (D-N.J.) said yesterday. "I define it as reaching out to make sure that everyone has access to the American Dream, no matter what color, economic status or background. I reject how it's been defined by Republicans." END SNIP

So is the word too damaged, or should we just take it back as we are taking back our country? Or should we use the word progressive instead?

[ck4829]

1. Let's take back Liberalism. Period.

Pat "Death Squad" Robertson once said our country has a Conservative heritage, if that were so, we would be connected to the family of King George, (King George the 3rd, not W). They treat Conservatism as though it were the 2nd son of God. It's time to bring back Liberalism and take back this country.

[SemperEadem]

16. EXACTLY!!!! That has been my point on this topic

If those fighting against the crown of England in the 18th century had been the "conservatives" that all the fundamental cases keep wanting to reinvent in their own image, we'd still be subjects of the English crown and paying taxes to them. The revolutionaries were as liberal and left leaning as one could get---they were fighting the conservative Hanovarian agenda.

[calimary]

29. YES! DAMMIT! I'm a LIBERAL and PROUD OF IT. I've got relatives

in LIBERAL, Missouri, for heaven's sakes!

I'm an IN-YER-FACE Liberal. As in - "yeah, I'm liberal. You got a problem with that?!??!?!?!?!"

Sorry to get so worked up here, but we HAVE TO, HAVE TO, HAVE TO do this. We HAVE TO TAKE BACK THE LANGUAGE!

The word "liberal" has a bad connotation because one has been artificially and maliciously and deliberatly manipulatively grafted on. This has been perpetrated by people whose interests are TOTAL negatives - Lies. Character assassination. Misrepresentation. Power lust. Subjugation. You name it. It was newt gingrich who jump-started the most recent effort with his little GOPAC criminal enterprise - and that how-to book with the two vocabulary lists - positive words to use for all things republi-CON and conservative, and negative words to use for all things Democratic and liberal. This was a CONSCIOUS, deliberate effort to gain the upper hand over the opponents by turning them into flat-out enemies, not merely colleagues with opposing views. It was cold, calculated, mean-spirited, conniving, and deceitful. He was, of course, helped tremendously by the repulsive, hate-mongering mouthpiece rush limbaugh, and, with his success in turn, many more limbaugh clones and wannabes and cheap imitations.

So we need to turn it around BACK ON THEM, IN THEIR FACES, and UP THEIR ASSES if necessary. They hit us? We hit 'em back. HARD. So they think twice before trying to mess with us again. A sleeping giant has awakened here. And we HAVE TO. If we let up for an instant, they'll regroup and be back to attack us yet again. In effect, THEY are the terrorists here. We HAVE TO DO THIS.

WE HAVE TO DO THIS!

PRIORITY ONE!

Lemme tell ya - I was talking today with a woman whose daughter graduated from the school where my daughter's now enrolled. There are many VERY wealthy families there, VERY republi-CON, also. We happened to be talking about how great we thought Kerry was last night. She asked me if I were comfortable as a parent being around that school, and if I was hesitant to be there because my views were clearly different from many of the other parents there. I said no, not at all. Last year, when I had my Dean for America sticker taped to the inside of my rear window, one of the moms noticed it. Her daughter and my daughter had become friends, and her family was also liberal-leaning (no wonder our girls got along!). The mom pointed out my sticker to her daughter (in the school parking lot) and said "wow - that woman is BRAVE. You should be friends with that girl." (Turns out they already were, anyway.) I pointed out that frankly, this is a parochial school. They charge tuition. And shocking but true, MY check cashes and spends EVERY BIT AS EFFECTIVELY as any other parent's check there. My money's every bit as good. They'll just have to deal with it if the subject ever comes up. Besides, they can't really afford to turn their noses up at me. I'm an alumna of that school. There's sort of an unwritten code of ethics and mandatory respectful conduct about the alumnae. So they have no choice. They HAVE to put up with me.

Also, I saw at my son's school (he's still in elementary school), an interesting phenomenon. I would drive onto THOSE grounds for pick-up and drop-off with that Dean for America sticker on my car. Soon the War is Not the Answer sticker joined it. I'm like - MAKE ME take them off. I'm a black belt. Go ahead. Make my day! So soon enough, I notice this one fancy Mercedes has a "doing my part to piss off the radical right" sticker on its back bumper. Then, I notice one of the teachers has added to her KPFK bumper stickers - with an anti war sticker, and eventually also a "let's not elect him in 2004, either!" sticker. Then a dad comes up to me, while waiting in the pickup line, and starts talking about how he loves my bumper sticker and he can't believe what's going on and how bad bush is, and so forth. It's like people THOUGHT they were supposed to keep quiet, because obviously nobody else is speaking out, so they must be the only ones to feel like they do. But then they realized that somebody else DID feel like they did, and was driving around with an outrage and a bumper sticker to match. And so it goes...

FURTHERMORE: The BAD GUYS (let's be honest and call them EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE) have pulled of a VERY successful campaign because of an able assist from the fear-of-terrorism atmosphere that still poisons the air over much of this country. They figure if they can call us unpatriotic often enough, people will come to accept it through sheer repetition (well, they couldn't say that on the air if it weren't true, could they?) and we'll be bullied into silence. When we're silenced, we don't speak up and protest and object and question and challenge and shine any bright lights on their sins and lies and hypocrisy. So they're able to get away with it. So you get into a vicious cycle of self-perpetuation. And we are demonized. And while THEY are the ones who deserve to be demonized, they're heroes, somehow.

THAT IS WHY WE HAVE TO SEIZE THE MOMENTUM AND THE AGENDA. Straight back in their faces with it. Bullies that they are, they're not used to being challenged, and they can't handle it when they are. Didn't David Dreier actually get frustrated and walk out during Bill Maher's show tonight, when Michael Moore came out swinging and wouldn't let up? They can dish it out, but they CANNOT take it. David Dreier probably will think twice before he comes on any show with Michael Moore again. Gradually, as Michael Moore keeps making more money and getting more press for "Fahrenheit 9/11," and keeps getting standing ovations and rousing applause everywhere, he's going to keep getting invited onto these shows, and guess who'll be a no-show? People like David Dreier, who can't stand the heat, so they're forced to leave the kitchen. Leaving Michael Moore unchallenged, to take the mikes and cameras and reporters' notepads all to himself.

They're spoiled. They're not used to being challenged. And this is EXTRA useful at the moment because that renders them entirely unequipped to handle serious, meaningful counter-attacks. They START OUT off-balance here. This should be exploited!!!

YES, take back the language. YES, take a line or two from Al Sharpton, who listed a nice, tidy little number of positive advances that came about UNDER DEMOCRATS - little dumb stuff like THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT. And THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT. Just little dumb stuff like that. (Sarcasm ON) James Carville also has a bunch of one-line tips and talking points about what liberals have done, championed, and pioneered, to move this country away from the Dark Ages. Those positive reforms occurred ON THE LIBERALS' WATCH. Conservatives had NOTHING to do with it.

It needs to be shouted from the rooftops, written overhead by skywriters, plastered all over everywhere. For the eye and for the ear and for the mind. OVER AND OVER, repeat as often as possible. The word "liberal" BELONGS to US, guys. NOT them. They don't get to use it OR abuse it. They can cheney-up their own damned repressive, regressive words, thank you very much.

SHEESH! Sorry this is so long. DU always gets me fired up! Thanks for suffering through it/me.

[seabeyond]

2. i am not a liberal and i am taking back the word

say to all in the panhandle of texas the liberal i am.............and looking in eye daring them to flinch. has become very easy to say. yes.......take back liberal i say. dont like people telling people who they get to be and what they are

[Dookus]

3. Wes Clark

proudly called himself a liberal.

MAHER: Okay. I’m just – I’m just wondering, of all the people who has the credentials to say, “liberal” is not a bad word, I’m wondering if I could get you to say that.

CLARK: Well, I’ll say it right now.

MAHER: Good for you.

CLARK: We live in a liberal democracy.

MAHER: Right.

CLARK: That’s what we created in this country. That’s our—

MAHER: That’s right. Thank you.

CLARK: That’s in our Constitution. Let me follow on this, okay? I think we should be very clear on this. You know, this country was founded on the principals of the Enlightenment.

MAHER: Right.

CLARK: It was the idea that people could talk, reason, have dialogue, discuss the issues. It wasn’t founded on the idea that someone would get stuck by a divine inspiration and know everything right from wrong. I mean, people who founded this country had religion, they had strong beliefs, but they believed in reason, in dialogue, in civil discourse. We can’t lose that in this country. We’ve got to get it back.

MAHER: Thank you.

[Hoping4Change]

13. Clarke makes a great point that every Progressive should follow

Every DUer should vow that whenever he or she uses the word "democracy" he or she should preface it with "liberal".

"LIBERAL DEMOCRACY is a form of representative democracy in which MAJORITY RULE IS QUALIFIED by respect for liberal rights such as

- freedom of speech and assembly,

- freedom of religion, the right to private property and privacy,

- equality before the law and due process under the rule of law,

Such rights are guaranteed through various institutions and statutory laws in order to protect the rights of individuals and minorities from the 'tyranny of the majority'." Wikipedia

[CrispyQ]

25. I'm a liberal & proud of it!

Here's a great DU article: "When did Liberal become a Dirty Word?"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/articles/02/11/23_liberal.html

snip...

Liberal: adj. 1. relating to or having social and political views that favor progress and reform. 2. relating to or having policies or views advocating individual freedom. 3. giving and generous in temperament or behavior. 4. tolerant of other people. (Collins Concise English Dictionary)

snip...

From this writer's aging perspective, it seems that most liberals I have met are by definition very interested in equality and fairness, the welfare of all Americans, health care for all Americans, a free public higher education for all Americans, protecting the environment and our wilderness areas, tolerance and respect for individual freedoms (including women's), and more equitable income distribution in America.

Meanwhile, many conservatives I have met usually espouse one or more programs and policies that are mainly self serving - including the reduction or elimination of taxes, protection of the status quo and states rights irrespective of societal inequities, "my" religious convictions - not yours, prosperity at any cost, business interests - not the public's, the right to own assault weapons, a powerful military rather than universal public health and education, or finally America first - the U.N. never! In a more vernacular sense, "I've got mine, Jack, to hell with you."

[David__77]

4. I think "progressive" holds more opportunity.

Young people on the left do not identify so much as liberal. Pro-war and Cold War Democrats like LBJ and Truman were "liberals," and though I don't want to dismiss them wholely (especially LBJ for his civil rights legislation), I think we have a much more important legacy to uphold--the left generally. "Liberalism" sold its soul to the devil during the Cold War, selling out to rabid anti-communism. It dug its grave, destroyed the old progressive coalition and led to the necessity for a New Left to fully discredit liberalism.

Globally, "liberalism" is associated with free marketism and anti-people policies generally. This is its traditional meaning. For a while, it meant something else, but I don't see the point in trying to revive it. "Progressive" is better and more inclusive of varying left trends.

[no name no slogan]

10. truth in labelling is needed

"Progressive" is not just a substitute for "Liberal". A liberal can be progressive, but not all liberals are progressive.

The word Progressive is rooted in the early part of the 20th century, with people like Bob LaFollette and Teddy Roosevelt. It meant specifically empowering individuals and people to make decisions, not letting them be made for us by politicians. It meant direct democracy, not more layers between elected officials and the populace.

Liberal is still a proud word, and it needs to be rehabilitated. Liberalism gave us FDR, HST, JFK, and even LBJ after he became president. It's given us Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Head Start, and many other beneficial programs that help the least among us to become productive citizens.

Take back Liberal, but don't confuse it with Progressive.

[stellanoir]

5. i'm sick and tired of the word "liberal" being tarnished

They say "tax and spend" liberals.
I say "loot and waste pseudo consiervatives.

Fundamentally, a culture's future is measured tangentially, by its care for its elderly, its youth, and its less fortunate. We are failing miserably in all three catagories. Things look pretty grim. But "(something's) on the way." Yay.

[lapfog_1]

9. Whenever I hear the term "tax and spend liberal"

I immediately reply "better than a NO tax and spend MORE" conservative.

And we have the budget deficit numbers to back that up, BIGTIME!

[Hoping4Change]

11. LOL "NO tax and spend MORE" conservative"

Way too funny. Thanx for the laugh.

[madfloridian]

20. Dean called them "Borrow and Spend" Republicans.

He has been good at turning the words back on them. I like it.

[SemperEadem]

19. très approprié

"loot and waste pseudo conservatives"

very well said! I gotta use that one!

[catzies]

6. I'm a proud liberal and we should take back the language

on this and other issues.

I agree with Howard Dean in that it's been turned into a dirty word.

They intentionally created it into an epithet, knowing that labels divide us.

[supernova]

7. I call myself liberal and progressive interchangibly

I don't know. I certaintly think we can reclaim the word "liberal" from the facists who have sullied it all these years.

But "progressive" is a newer word and as such looks toward the future. I do like that idea.

"liberal" and "feminist" are sorta in the same boat reputation-wise. An yes, I call myself a feminist.

[madfloridian]

8. That is what I do. Use both. Moderate as well.

They have confused us all so well with their denigration of the terms that I am willing to call myself anything right now.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

12. Take it back, just as

African-Americans reclaimed the word "black" with "black pride" and GLBT youth are proudly calling themselves "queer."

Did you know that "Quaker," now the common name of one of the most respected religious groups, was originally an insulting term for the Society of Friends?

In addition, we need to challenge everyone who uses the word "liberal" as an insult. "What does 'liberal' mean to you?" we need to ask.

Nine times out of ten, they won't even have a definition, or it will be erroneous:"Liberals want to take my hard-earned dollars and give them to lazy junkies who have one kid after another."

"Liberal" will be an insult ONLY as long as Democrats run away from it.

[Chili]

14. take it back

Three weeks ago I sent an email to the Kerry campaign: it's time to reclaim the word "Liberal." I said, every liberal pundit / talking head should carry the following speech in their pockets, and every time one of those right-wing fascists sneers "liberal" at them, whip it out and read it:

Sen. John F. Kennedy, acceptance of the New York Liberal Party Nomination, September 14, 1960.

What do our opponents mean when they apply to us the label "Liberal?" If by "Liberal" they mean, as they want people to believe, someone who is soft in his policies abroad, who is against local government, and who is unconcerned with the taxpayer's dollar, then the record of this party and its members demonstrate that we are not that kind of "Liberal." But if by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people -- their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties -- someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal.",

Nobody said it like John Kennedy.

Here's the rest of that great speech: http://www.cjnetworks.com/~cubsfan/whatis.html

[madfloridian]

15. Meanings of liberal and progressive.

progressive - a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties.

liberal - a person who favors a political philosophy of progress and reform and the protection of civil liberties.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/LiberaL

[KittyWampus]

23. Liberal= UNREGULATED. As A Political/Economic Term

it has referred to those who want UNREGULATED MARKETS for a very long time.. In Europe and elsewheres.

ONLY in US is Liberal meaning unregulated socially.

[PhuLoi]

27. Would you please identify your source for that definition.

It is a more esoteric definition of the term liberal than I have seen applied before.

[OnionPatch]

17. I never lost the word liberal

No offense, but I never jumped on the "The RW ruined our word so let's call ourselves Progressives instead" bandwagon. I never use the word "progressive" much except in reference to policies or communities. I'm a liberal. We should stand up for what we are. I'm damn PROUD to be a liberal and always have been.

[EstimatedProphet]

18. We need to take the word back

The Cons have perverted it, along with the concept. If we don't take the word back, we will never get the concepts to go forward either.

[madfloridian]

21. I am inclined to agree.

I am not sure it can be done though. We waited so long. Look what the DLC did to Dean using that term and the "anti-war" label. It may be too late. I hope not.

[KittyWampus]

22. Liberal Is A Misleading & Uninformative Term-It Means Unregulated

but doesn't indicate WHAT a group wants unregulated.

In Europe (and Oz I think) Neo Liberals want an unregulated market.

In America, Liberal means unregulated socially.

Once upon a time, I advocated taking back the word Liberal... just as I openly advocated taking back the FLAG and PATRIOTI<M and the word VALUES and FAMILIES on this forum.

By the way, I was given HELL on this forum for saying we shouldn't cede the Flag, Patriotism, Family, Spritiuality and Values to the Right.

The Left is PROGRESSIVE> we want to move Humanity forward. Away from Tribalism, Materialism and Fossil Fuels.

The word Progressive paints the Right as being the Reptilian Obstructionists they really are.

[madfloridian]

24. I agree about not ceding those issues to the right.

I did not realize "liberal" had a different meaning abroad. Yes, I have been hit on here a few times for pointing out that we were giving in to much to the right wing. I know what you mean.

[PhuLoi]

26. Take it back as it is defined in dictionaries,I would be proud.

Sadly, my hatred for the neocons and their flunky front group, the republican party, has made me intolerant. Therefore, by definition, I may not honestly call myself liberal.

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

28. Toying with the idea?

I AM a liberal and a proud one, at that. I never let it go. If you let it go, people, take it back and NOW.

And for that matter, let's get liberalism and all it means back in the spotlight and guiding this country. It's only right.

[enigmatic]

30. Liberal As A Dirty Word

The GOP is a masterful job at making "Liberal" a dirty word; we're doing a very good job of taking it back again, but we have more work to do...