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“Progressive” is not another term for liberal... it means socialist.

Johnny7:

You are absolutely right. As we know, the term "liberal" applies to people who espouse individual rights and responsibilities, private property, free exchange of goods and ideas, tolerance and limited and representative government. Leftists oppose all of these things in greater or lesser measure.

Even the Left recognize that the label liberal does not fit well on them. Indeed, the "Progressives" wish to distinguish themselves from the squishy left of the Democrat Party which proudly wears the label liberal, a tendency for which it generally has contempt (not BOLD enough). Hence the need to adopt the progressive moniker: it distinguishes them from the statist liberals, identifies them among the annointed as revolutionairies, but does so in a way that doesn't scare the soccer moms and other possible allies in the bourgeois middle classes.

As for Left Wing radio, I welcome it to the field of competition, but I doubt it will be commercially viable. Limbaugh is successful for two principal reasons: 1) the host is an especially talented broadcaster; and 2) the show is seen by its listeners as an antidote to the liberalism of the mainstream media. Because the mainstream media lies so far to the political left, Limbaugh's show can be comfortably in the opposition without assuming any truly objectionable positions.

It is highly unlikely that the Left will find a broadcaster equal of Limbaugh's skills. Certainly, the unfunny gasbag Franken is not. Moreover, the host could not easily use the mainstream media as a foil. To distinguish himself from NPR, NYT, Brokaw, Jennings and Rather, he would have to either: (1) move to an extreme left position, i.e. reflexive anti-Americanism, environmental utopianism and collectivist economics; or (2) rely on an endless repitition of Saturday Night Live-style "Bush is a Moron" jokes. I don't think anyone would disagree that the market for such garbage is small. Consequently, this project is dead on arrival.

It will be pleasant to see the Chicago fools and their money soon parted. I only wish I could figure out a way of getting some of it to flow my way.