re: #402 researchok

This conversation has moved off into too many directions (unfortunately).

My contention was (and remains) that Moynihan would have a tough time getting elected today- as would O’Neill, Jackson, Humphrey, etc.

Very few classical liberals left.

I’d argue that this is because what it means to be a liberal is always changing.

In the 40’s it was liberal to say that blacks should be allowed to drive tanks so long as they were kept segregated from the rest of the army with a white officer in command of the unit at the top.

In the 60’s it was progressive to say that Black’s deserved to be treated the same as whites.

In the 90’s it was liberal to say that gays should be allowed to serve so long as they kept their sexual preference quiet.

If you ask “why aren’t there any more liberals like there were back in the old days” your answer is because the positions they held are probably now considered conservative/quaint/openly out dated…