Reply #76: I certainly disagree about liberals "losing" or playing defense.

[PBass]

There was a massive cultural shift in the 60s and 70s, which WE WON.

For example, racism is now taboo. Racism certainly hasn't gone away, and it's still a problem. But to be branded a racist now in America is hugely shameful. 50 years ago, that wasn't true.

Similarly, women, gays, environmentalists, artists, atheists, pacifists, and multi-culturalists (I'm sure there is a better term for this... universalists?) etc etc all made significant, lasting gains. All of these things are now considered MAINSTREAM, basically, or well on the way. You might get some friction in some places in America if you are an atheist for example, but it's not considered some fringe cult that you can't discuss, if you are discussing religion. Recycling? Prosecuting sexual harrassors in the workplace? Gay marriage on the horizon? A black president? That wasn't happening, 50 years ago.

Understand? WE WON BIG. HUGE.

Politics can be like a pendulum, we have also lost ground in some respects (recently, tax cuts for millionaires) but those things are transient, compared to the big cultural shifts that Liberalism accomplished.

Think about this... someday in the not so distant future, young people will be confounded when they hear that gay people used to be denied the right to marry, the same way we currently find it bizarre that mixed race marriages were once forbidden.

Don't be discouraged, we are losing some battles, but winning the war. THINK LONG TERM.