What do Recent Squad Losses Mean for the Progressives and Tim Walz?

How to Message Voters and Counter the Lies

On Tuesday, Congresswoman Cory Bush (D-MO) became the second member of “The Squad” to lose a primary battle this cycle. Congressman Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) lost his primary race last month. “The Squad” was originally comprised of four women who won election to Congress in 2018: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). They were joined over time by several others including Bush and Bowman. Over the past few years, both AOC and Pressley have adopted some (not all) more liberal, less “progressive” views.

To some bedwetters, this means the unhappy death of the Progressive movement, but I (as usual) have a different take.

The term “Progressive” came into common usage politically in the 1990’s after Rush Limbaugh led the charge to make the term “Liberal” a dirty word. In the same way that Democrats enabled the Rethuglicans to change “The Democratic Party” to “The Democrat Party”, very few Democrats stood up to this unnecessary meanness.

Personally, I am, have always been, and will always be, a card-carrying, yellow-bellied, lily livered, old guard, PROUD Liberal. I am not, have never been, and never will be, a Progressive. My card is in the footnote.¹

I am a Liberal in the JFK mold. (You should be able to recite this quote from his acceptance speech for the Liberal Party nomination.)

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 that 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 that I'm a "Liberal." 

I could write a book on the differences between Liberals and Progressives. But to keep it simple, Liberals have a set of beliefs that are pretty much immutable. Progressives are more open to changing their views. While the two terms have similar dictionary definitions (honest, look it up) the way it works in practice has a lot to do with tactics.

Take the “Defund the Police” movement a few years ago. Progressives pounced on this most extreme overreaction, and wrapped it in their fear and loathing of the police. Liberals were appalled. Liberals could buy into the idea that more social services were necessary in dealing with people undergoing major mental health problems. Liberals were fine with cops needing to take responsibility for their actions and not being given a pass, primarily by their unions, and being able to be held legally responsible. But “defund”? No. We need police. The one place that actually defunded their police force was Burlington, VT. It was a disaster. Even the people who proposed it determined it was a bad idea a year in.

The Progressives claim that both Bush and Bowman lost because of their positions on Israel, and the money from PACs that advertised against them. But if you look at the content of the ads, the subjects were more far-reaching, and indicated that neither was a “good Democrat” nor someone who would compromise. Both Congresspeople had voted against the Inflation Reduction Act because they felt it didn’t go far enough, and that was played up in some of the ads. Think about it: almost $900 Billion (with a “B”) in infrastructure spending, more roads, bridges, tunnels, money for domestic manufacturing, money to work against climate change. And IT WASN’T GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE PROGRESSIVES.

I bring this all up because Governor Walz has been labeled a Progressive. (As well as a “Far Left Radical”.) I don’t think that’s true, I believe he’s actually a Liberal, and we, AS PEOPLE WHO TALK TO VOTERS, need to be able to respond to the right’s labeling of him.

MAGA world is coming for Governor Walz, claiming that he’s going to pull Vice President Harris “even further left”.

Here is what to say:

One: They’re Lying

The other side will mischaracterize positions that Walz has held, and legislation that he has worked for, and you need to simply say: “They’re lying.”

Two: Back it up with FACTS

I prepared this chart with just a few of the attacks you will hear from voters. If you need more detail, let me know and I can get you source documentation. These are this week’s attacks. I’ll have more responses when they come up with new lies.

1. Sorry, they don’t make them anymore…but I still carry it everywhere I go.