Local Democrat activists are now using the word "progressive" more to describe themselves. They want to avoid Liberal lables without realizing progressive is worse.
Some Republicans are adding "traditionalist" as a descriptive label because conservative is a put off to unhappy liberals who are looking at us more. It appears both sides have succeeded in making labels stick.
In the last election we did notice the dems doing all kinds of verbal contortions to keep from admitting they are "liberal"...but,
like you, I hear the word "progressive"..and I automatically recoil...it sigifies "socialism" much better than "liberal" does.
As for the Republicans...they need to stop worrying about their labels...and worry more about their BACKBONES.
You can change the label, but you can't force Americans to stop being more conservative than liberal.