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This is actually a good read for the historical interest, whatever one thinks of the thesis. As for that, "liberals" or "progressives" are usually a small tribe or sect or cult, very different from other Americans. They tend to come from similar privileged backgrounds, to go to the same schools (graduate, undergrad, and even high school), to read the same magazines, and parrot the same lines, all the while thinking themselves smarter or more educated than their countrymen. "Liberalism" is a little more like a club or a church that people get satisfaction from belonging to, than a competitive political movement that can win elections and make changes in government.

And yet, the Democrats are still a viable political party and will probably win again, if not in 2008, then in 2012. The Democrats will be back. the question is whether they'll come back roaring with liberals clearly in the saddle, as in 1912 or 1932, or whether they'll stumble their way back into office, a little dazed and almost surprised that they won, as in 1976 or 1992 (of course such characterizations have more to do with what actually happened later than with the mood on election night).

The reason is that no party can stay in power or maintain its hold on the national imagination forever. Scandals and mistakes build up, and people start to think about giving the other side a try if they seem to have gotten their act together -- it helps if there's a third party or a bitter split in the incumbent party, too. Any ruling party or faction starts to get arrogant and careless, and starts to look cultic or sectlike if it's in power long enough, even the Republicans. Once a particular set of threats or challenges has been dealt with by one party, people lose interest in them or perceive dangers coming from other direction, that the other party seems better equipped to handle.

Hard vs. soft liberalism? Well, there's everything to be said for Harry Truman rather than Henry Wallace or William O. Douglas or for Lieberman against Dean or Kucinic, but "hard" liberals did bring us Vietnam. If "hard" means practical and realistic and "soft" means utopian or weak or wishy-washy or soft-headed, "hard" is preferable, but it can deteriorate into a cult of toughness for its own sake. That's okay when one is cleaning up messes left behind by others, but it can make a lot of trouble by pushing a government into untenable positions for the sake of not looking weak.

Generally speaking, it's the realists who win the victories, but any election win is a sign to the dreamers and theorists to come out of hibernation, and then it's up to the realists to keep them under control, using their energies while denying them real power. That's a tough act to keep up, though.

"...but it can make a lot of trouble by pushing a government into untenable positions for the sake of not looking weak."

Exactly the premise of this book by H.R. McMaster.

LBJ was so afrade of "looking weak" in the 64 election, he allowed Vietnam to spin out of control. Irony is, he didn't need to do it in order to beat any Republican that year, especially Goldwater. But LBJ was both manic-depresive and paranoid. He was very politically gifted but was the only clinically "crazy" president we have ever had. (Albeit, several were very 'strange' units.)