Red Rover

Why has "progressive" not progressed in America? Inclusiveness. Yep Bubba. I think it's because progressives think they can and must include just about everyone – because they have big hearts and everyone can be assimilated into the "movement" if the approach is right.

This tentative treatment of all potential converts to progressionism gave rise to political correctness. Wouldn't want to offend any possible rank and filer.

Or, it could be progressives are too cowardly to weed out the stupid among their own ranks. But when a movement's talking point is inclusiveness I suppose stupid is included, right Bubba? But maybe that's not cowardly … just stupid.

It is impolite to call Joe Stupid, stupid. Joe could be a possible progressive if he is shown the truth, using the gentle and kinder approach. Liberals (recently re-termed 'progressives') believe most Americans will join as soon as said Americans realize it's in their own best interest - for their own good - therefore best to not insult, berate, belittle, laugh at or piss off Joe Stupids.

The liberal/left gets little traction because it waits for Joe Stupid to "wake up" and join the cause. But Joe likes – needs – someone to tell him his opinion, his predilections, his desires. Have progressives not noticed Joe's love life, family life, consumerism, habits, manners, mores, etc. all imitate the televised screen? Sports, soaps, comedians, drama, pay-per-porn, evangelical perverts for dollars, information pundits – all misused and spun to fit the logic of stupid people.

Joe is as stupid as that which he views, as stupid as the music he grinds and crotch grabs to, as stupid as the video games he plays, the rigged sports he bets on, and the artificial talk shows he chooses to guide his emotional life. Joe is an imitator. Monkey see monkey do.

And all the while Joe Stupid is programmed to believe he thinks for himself because - by God he has the remote control and it's the other people who are sheeple.

If somehow Joe avoids the mass marketing of stupid – he can still manage to be stupid by imitating his surroundings – the behavior of those who did not avoid stupid. Kind of like the hundredth monkey phenomenon. Joe has his own televised mini-mental screen where he writes, produces, directs and stars himself. He always looks good, is funny, wise, intelligent, sexy and sought after.

Joe is not in the minority. He is mainstream majority America. He is Black, white, brown, male, female, working, unemployed, drawing a government check, married, single, childless or with a pack of kids, urbanite, country bumpkin, gay, straight, "educated," dropout, young, old, middle-age, law abiding or criminal. But always stupid.

Conservatism attracts more stupid simply because the word 'conservative' carries a notion of proper gentility, of a person who prefers to keep life tidy; a safe and secure state of being, i.e. moral, thrifty, refined, responsible, a real Scout. Joe needs to be told he's all that.

Regardless how immoral, trash-nasty, self-absorbed liar and stupid he is in real life, Conservatism gives Joe the bent principles to claim he's everything he's not - and permission to play stupid about it.

Progressives on the other hand prefer waiting for Joe to recognize that which he is too stupid to see – reality-self. This is where progressives are conservative – they dally, stall, wait – in an attempt to include, awaken and embrace more Joes. A sort of political game of playing Red Rover Red Rover send Joe Stupid right over.