There is a HUGE difference between a hard-core Liberal and, say, a farmer who votes Democratic and calls himself a "liberal."

Unfortunately, or actually fortunately, if you think about it, most people have actual lives and spend most of their time working, producing, and raising families. Politics rates pretty low on their list, so when election time comes around they vote based on habit, who Dad voted for, or the fact that their local representative or senator has delivered the goods to their district. Their political opinions are often similarly acquired.

Most of the time, these people define themselves as "liberal" for a number of reasons. We will leave aside for the moment the fact that the word "liberal" is considered "good," and the word "conservative" has been poisoned by the media to the point where most people can't hear it without white hoods flashing into their minds.

Often, their view of themselves as "liberal" is based on loaded, foggy questions they hear similar to these:

"Do you believe in the right to choose?"

"Do you believe in racial equality?"

"Are you against pollution?"

"Are you for taxing the wealthy?"

"Do you think gays should have equal rights?"

"Do you think the government should support the arts?"

Hey, I've SEEN political surveys, both Left and Right, and the questions are loaded like a dice with an anvil glued to one side. It's almost impossible not to give them the answer they want. You must admit, most reasonable people without a hard political philosophical core would agree with these statements.

However, honest answers to a little more detailed questioning might start separating the wheat from the chaff:

"Do you think your 13-year-old daughter should be allowed to have an abortion without you knowing it?"

"Do you think a black kid with lower grades should be able to edge your kid out of a position at Harvard?"

"Do you think your SUV ought to be outlawed? Your motorized fishing boat? Your camper?"

"Do you think its okay that your kids won't get the farm because you won't be able to pay the death taxes?"

"Do you think your son's Scout Troop should be forced to accept a gay scout leader?"

"Do you think the government should support art showing someone pissing on a symbol of your faith?"

Your farmer is likely to give somewhat different answers to your second set of questions. Maybe your "liberal" friends would too. A hard-core liberal would STILL agree with these latter statements.

One of my main goals here, aside from getting some practice in formulating my own ideas, is to show that the hard-core Liberals--not the small-l liberals, are currently calling the shots in a number of important areas in this country, not least in the leadership of the Democratic Party.