www.leninology. blogspot.com
The rejection of Kerry has nothing to do with a rejection of 'progressive' principles since he didn't represent any. Neither did Dean. Both are straight down the middle, fiscally conservative pro-war Democrats.
_________________________________________________________________
Well, yes and no. Participants in lists such as this know that Kerry and Dean are not progressives, but in much of the voting public's mind they are perceived to be as radical as . . . Well, Lenin. That is the effect of the overwhelming triumph of right-wing propaganda in this country; public debate has been wrenched entirely to the right. I speak with educated people every day who believe that the Democrats are revolutionists who are determined to raise the red flag over the Capitol. It's really quite amazing. As Doug notes, there is an deeply ingrained fear of left-wing radicalism among White Americans. I don't know how this can be changed, absent a economic catastrophe on the scale of the '30s.