Liberalism: Radical or Mainstream American?

Is Liberalism Radical or Mainstream American?

In his first rally after President Biden announced the withdrawal of his candidacy, Donald Trump called Kamala Harris "a radical left lunatic who will destroy our country.”“ He claimed she was in favor of the “execution” of babies due to her stance on abortions.

I haven't been called a lunatic, at least not yet, but I have been accused of being a radical liberal and an ultra-social progressive who has veered far to the left, away from the American mainstream, toward socialism and communism.

I contend that the dominant political ideology of the past 50 years has drifted away from the American mainstream, not me. The public policies I have supported for at least the past 40 years reflect an ideology supported by a supermajority of Americans.

I found the poster below, with data references, in a Michael Moore blog post. If Americans were identified politically by the policy positions they support, America would be called a liberal nation.  You can dismiss Michael Moore as just another radical liberal, but his blog post provides sources for all of the data in the poster.

As I have written before, this presidential campaign is not about two people, it is about two political ideologies. If Americans vote for the policies they believe in, rather than the personalities or parties they affiliate with, there is little doubt which candidate would win the presidential election.

Unfortunately, many voters prioritize personality and party over policy and ideology. So it's important that those who share the common sense of the vast majority of Americans not be intimidated by being labeled as left-wing radicals or liberal lunatics. We are aligned with the heart and soul of a "liberal nation": the United States of America.

John Ikerd

For links to the data sources see Moore's post: https://www.michaelmoore.com/.../in-america-liberal-is...