How on earth can anyone call Hillary Clinton a progressive?

[undeterred]

In the context of the field of Democratic candidates she is the least progressive candidate. Amazingly, some of her supporters throw the term around, which makes it utterly devoid of meaning. I just had someone tell me how unfair PDA was for endorsing Obama (now that both Kucinich and Edwards are out) and saying PDA is going to have to sit out the election when Hillary becomes the nominee... poor Hillary, she's been slighted everywhere :sarcasm:

[bigtree]

1. She obviously supports some progressive positions

I think most of these labels are lazy shorthand.

[Phillycat]

3. Agree with you 100%.

She is progressive in some areas, conservative in others. And I'm not a Hillary supporter. But she certainly holds some progressive ideals.

[Armstead]

5. Unfortunately she is not progressive on the core issues of wealth and power

[Phillycat]

8. True dat.

My biggest negative against Hillary is the corporate donations. It's very worrisome, because I don't think she can take all that money and then turn around and work for the people. But I still think it's ridiculous to claim that she's not progressive in any way. :shrug:

[Armstead]

13. She's progressive when it doesn't upset the real balance of power

Frankly, all of her policies remind me of a commentator on CNBC (business television) who said that she meets frequently with members of the Corporate and Wall St. Class to reassure them that she really will support their agenda.

I believe she really does have liberal (progressive) instincts on some social issues.

But in the areas that really matter in terms of Wealth and Power, it's limited to convincing the elites to throw some crumbs to the groundlings while allowing the elites to keep the loaf for themselves.

[soleft]

2. Universal healthcare

freeze on foreclosures

[bellasgrams]

4. If Hillary isn't a progressive and she and BO 's voting records

are close to the same what does that make him?

[undeterred]

18. I'm not sure he is either.

But along the spectrum, he is a little to the left of Hillary. I guess I don't mean to suggest that she doesn't hold some progressive ideals- but in the field of candidates for president, she is the farthest to the right, the least progressive.

[synesthesia]

6. .

I think it's within the realm of plausibility that Hillary is a crypto progressive who is trying to project Thatcher in order to get into power. She did write her thesis on Alinsky (amoral pursuit of power in order to achieve idealistic leftist goals).

I'm kind of torn though on trying to separate the woman from the candidate. I read a lot of letters she wrote in college, and my instincts tell me she has a leftist spirit. But that was college. It's really hard to get a read on.

I suspect she's a realistic pragmatist with a leftist heart but a conservative mind.

[synesthesia]

10. .

To expand what I was saying, it's clear Hillary is a very insecure individual with a narcissistic/borderline streak to her personality. Such people tend to be leftist at heart. But she's too smart to be a true believer or idealist.

Anyone else want to help me psychoanalyze?

[undeterred]

19. ..

No, but welcome to DU! You never know what you're going to find after ..

[RethugAssKicker]

7. Well, compared to the Rethugs....she's a flaming liberal !

[davsand]

12. I was thinking that same thing.

She looks pretty durn "progressive" next to guys like Mitt and McCain. Put her up next to the asswipe in the WhiteHouse right now and she looks like a Liberal Goddess.

However I will remind everyone that for quite a while prior to her run for Presidency, she was also reviled on here as being solidly DLC.

Amazing how perceptions shift so radically, isn't it...


:shrug:


Laura

[The_Casual_Observer]

9. Who would want to? "Progressives" never get anything done, but

they sure complain a lot.

[Armstead]

14. Read history much?

[The_Casual_Observer]

15. Sure, tell me about the successes of the "progressives" in the

last 10 years, say. Ralph Nader?

[Zynx]

11. You try to minimize people down to a single word.

That's destructive. Hillary's voting record, on the whole, is nothing a progressive should be ashamed of. I am not overlooking the IWR vote.

[undeterred]

16. I'm comparing her to the Democratic field of candidates,

not to the Republicans. And when someone says she hasn't been treated fairly, I have to laugh. She owns the corporate media. Kucinich was treated like crap, as were all those who the media chose to ignore. But for someone to say that a Progressive group like PDA or DFA which is all grassroots people is slighting Hillary? Give me a break.

[1corona4u]

17. Here's an interesting take on it...

http://nj.nationaljournal.com/voteratings/