Is the word 'progressive' in trouble?

Is the word "progressive" facing an identity crisis?

Is the political "left" in trouble?

Does being "liberal" require disclaimer language in today's political culture?

I don't know whether it's the chilling, Stalinesque reality of "political correctness" run amok or an effect of the Planned Parenthood videos, but I see real trouble ahead for liberalism, left-wing ideology and even the favored euphemism "progressive."

It hit me when I saw no less a lefty than Norman Lear explaining recently how he is actually a "bleeding-heart conservative."

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"Everybody knows me to be a progressive or a liberal or lefty or whatever. I think of myself as a bleeding-heart conservative. You will not f–- with my Bill of Rights, my Constitution, my guarantees of political justice for all," he said. "But does my heart bleed for those who need help and aren't getting the justice that the country promises them and the equal opportunity the country promises? Yes. I'm a bleeding heart, but I think myself to be a total social conservative.

"The people who are running just don't seem to have America on their minds, not the America I think about. When I was a kid we were in love with America. As early as I can remember, there was a civics class in my public school. And I was in love with those things that guaranteed freedom before I learned that there were people who hated me because I was Jewish. I had a Bill of Rights and a Constitution, those words out of the Declaration that protected me. And I knew about that because we had civics in class. We don't have that much in the country anymore. So before World War II or shortly after, we were in love with America because we understood what it was about and that's what we were in love with. I believe everybody's patriotic today. Everybody loves America. But I don't need their flag plans to prove it. I'd like to go back to civics lessons."

That was a long way of saying: "I don't want to be misunderstood. I don't want people thinking I'm a knee-jerk liberal or lefty. I don't want people thinking I don't care about the First Amendment like so many other so-called 'progressives.'"

You know what I'm talking about.

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It's not "conservatives" who are attacking the Constitution. It's not "conservatives" who are trampling people's individual rights. It's not "conservatives" who have a reputation for squelching debate, limiting the First Amendment, restricting the Second Amendment and using the political process to demonize people over their religious beliefs and convictions.

Norman Lear knows it's the so-called "progressives" who do that. And he doesn't want to be trapped in that box.

When Norman Lear starts bailing water on the sinking ship of liberalism, you know it's listing big time.

I don't know if Lear's proclamation is a reflection of any real second thoughts on his part, but he is clearly aware of a crisis for the left: "Conservatives" are beginning to be seen as those who love liberty for all, while "liberals" are beginning to be perceived as those who don't really respect the personal rights enunciated in the Constitution, nor the limits it places government power.

I doubt he is alone.

In fact, I know he is not. Camille Paglia has made other similar statements designed to show a modicum of consistency in her reasoning:

• On Bill Clinton: "So I say there is a big parallel between Bill Cosby and Bill Clinton – aside from their initials! Young feminists need to understand that this abusive behavior by powerful men signifies their sense that female power is much bigger than they are! These two people, Clinton and Cosby, are emotionally infantile – they're engaged in a war with female power."
• On modern feminism: "Perpetually lugging around your bad memories – never evolving or moving on! It's like a parody of the worst aspects of that kind of grievance-oriented feminism. I called my feminism 'Amazon feminism' or 'street-smart feminism,' where you remain vigilant, learn how to defend yourself and take responsibility for the choices you make. If something bad happens, you learn from it. You become stronger and move on. But hauling a mattress around on campus?"

Then there's Nat Hentoff, one of the journalistic jewels of the "progressives" throughout his illustrious octogenarian career. Today, he is a critic of political correctness, passionately pro-life, as one might expect "liberals" to be, and his weekly column runs in WND, an independent news agency that provides the broadest spectrum of commentary to be found anywhere.

Perhaps Lear, Paglia and Hentoff haven't left the left. Maybe it has left them.

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