The inevitable weakness of Progressive Democrats

I don't suppose it's much of a surprise to say that I'm a liberal - well, in these times, we call ourselves "Progressives." I was gladdened and saddened today when I read the script of the Democratic response to the President's weekly radio address yesterday. Rather than a traditional partisan response, whoever makes the decisions for the Democratic party selected Rev. Jim Wallis to make the address. Wallis is the head of the Sojourners/Call to Renewal, an evangenical social justice organization. In the past, he has been critical of both parties and critical of partisanship as wasteful and pointless. He was true to these beliefs in his address: "Answering the call to lift people out of poverty will require spiritual commitment and bipartisan political leadership. . . . Real solutions must transcend partisan politics," he said. "It is time to find common ground by moving to higher ground." He mentioned one of the most divisive issues on the political spectrum: "Wouldn't coming together to find common ground that dramatically reduces the number of abortions be better than both the left and the right using it as an issue to divide us?" he asked. Hearing a message of construction and not destruction is refreshing and positive and uplifting. But it also saddens me. We live in a competitive political climate. The Neocons, Theocons and Paleocons will brook no compromise. They are Right - just ask them. The weakness of progressive Democrats is that we aren't always confident that God has given us the True Answer. We are willing to make room in our minds for the possibility that we are wrong, and we listen critically to new information. Some issues are crystal clear, even if we don't effectively manage them - childhood poverty and hunger is such an issue. Others are not so clear. We are in Iraq, whether we would have made that decision in 2003 or not. There are a number of options to wind up that war, and there is no clear consensus in the Democratic party for which one is "right." We have a constitutional right to abortion, but the party has adherents of all views, and their opinions change, at least a little, on occasion. You see, we LISTEN. Do we accept the biblical seven days of creation myth? OK, now consider scientific evidence. Isn't it possible that God created the universe gradually, and perhaps with others than us a part of the equation? We look for truth, and are never sure we have all of it. The opposition sees that as weakness, and exploits us for being "wishy-washy." To fight those who are harming people in the name of freedom or capitalism or whatever, must we become what we despise in them, close-minded zealots? And if we don't, will our message of progress and understanding vanish in the cacaphony of conservative drum-beating? I have no absolute answer. I wish I did. I guess that makes me a liberal. I guess I'll have to live with that. Mizpah.