Now that, my friend, is a complicated question. But I'll try to articulate my position and what I consider to be the progressive position as best I can.
I should add of course that I can't speak for all progressives, just for myself and for those I'm acquainted with and have spent time dicussing these issues with.
What is a progressive? I believe that a progressive is an individual who believes that society should strive to attain the maximum good for all of its members. A progressive desires to break down the barriers which keep people apart and divide them. A progressive believes that a nation has an obligation to provide for its citizens who cannot provide for themselves.
I believe that progressives see the world in terms of nurturant values, meaning that we see political questions in terms of taking care of people, in terms of building communities.
We're not anti-American, anti-family or anti-religion.
We want to make America a better place, we just disagree with conservatives as to what constitutes a better place.
As to myself, I strongly believe that America needs both conservatives and progressives in government for there to be a healthy body politic.
As a nation, we're so divided right now that the gulf between our political philosophies seems unbridgeable. But I don't think that's true. I think we share more in common then we recognize right now and if we can go beyond the partisan rhetoric we will realize that we share a common goal: a better America for everyone.