As the Republican party and “leadership” moves farther and farther out of the mainstream and deeper into the realm of extreme, irrational, anti-democracy, backward-facing, obstructional politics, the struggle to maintain the gains made by the progressive movement over the past 100 years gets more difficult every year. Still, somehow, progressive ideas and policies keep pushing their way back into our collective consciousness, and rational, common-sense and common-good ideas manage to survive\u2014perhaps because, despite corporate-sponsored, self-serving propaganda, policies that help, rather than hurt, are what most Americans actually want.<\/p>\n
So, while we can\u2019t stop being vigilant, and while lots of hand-wringing and worry are justified, it\u2019s important to take a deep breath and reflect on the progressive successes of the past year.<\/p>\n