Why Do Democrats Act That Way????

I remember as kid that Nixon was considered a bit too right for most people’s taste.  Many saw Reagan as a far rightwing war monger.  Compared to today, both are relatively moderate – with Nixon policies as having a bit of the socialist flair.
But, back then, the mood was left and we had been working under a democratic ideal for over 30 years.
The past 30 years has seen the country under very conservative rule with the ideology pounded and on message.  And getting uglier and more rightwing by the day.
I use to think Reagan was dangerous and now, he almost seems like moderate who would be chased out of the republican party today.
Given this mood, where right use to be is now centrist left.  What was the moderate left is now fringe left.  Like in progressive.
The rightwing lunatic fringe is now mainstream.
The 90s brought us the business oriented DLC New Democrats.  And they ruled our party until a few years ago.
So, now we have progressives fuming, screaming and not understanding why we are having trouble rounding up the needed votes for health care.
Why so many fall for the republican talking points, are entrenched with the business lobbys and cozy with the conservatives.
Why are they not progressive enough???
Because the country has been moved to the right radically over the past 30 years.  Because government has been so demonized that any kind of assistance is agreed as evil.  Because half the democrats grew up with conservative rule and know nothing else.
One of the major reasons Obama is not as progressive as people assumed he would be is because he knows this as fact.  To move the country back to the rightful place you cannot cause complete system shock to average people.  They are freaking out now.  With minimal change and ideas.
When learning a new skill, you always start out slow and work your way into the expert level.
It’s the same here.
Progressives would do well to learn this and learn how to work within these facts and kind of slide the country leftward slowly.
You cannot beat up on people who don’t know better.
And, frankly, if like me, if you trash them and push them too hard instead of cajoling, you will entrench them.
I am not excusing blue dogs.  I am just stating facts and saying we need to learn how to work with them from this perspective and help them along.