I live in the center-right and very successful state of California, one of the world's great economic powers.

By my own leftist and radical environmentalist measures Jerry Brown and Barrack Obama are both center-right "conservative" politicians in the traditional meanings of the word. Yet I enthusiastically support them both, as I supported Hillary Clinton. They are very competent leaders. I am fiercely Democratic. This U.S.A. needs competent leadership.

Reagan, Bush One, Bush Two, and Trump achieved their position as tools, as easily manipulated puppets.

You've been fooled by the U.S.A. Republican Party. It's leaders are not left or right, they are little more than organized criminals and grifters, they are cogs in a kleptocracy. No wonder they caught Putin's attention.

The people who support these Republican "leaders" are their prey. All those rubes terrified some city-slicker was going to sell them the Brooklyn Bridge, a fake Rolex, or resurface their roads, roofs and driveways with sand and toxic used motor oil, they voted for Trump. Because Trump wasn't a black guy or a scary smart woman, or something. Go figure...

Issues like universal healthcare and literacy, infrastructure maintenance and improvements, environmental protections, worker protections, anti-corruption laws and enforcement, generous immigration policies, etc., are not politically "left" or "right," they're just good business.

There are dozens of countries on American continents. The idea of "American exceptionalism" where only US citizens are American is not the least bit progressive.

You know the OP is discussing the USA.

Teddy Roosevelt sold the idea of true Americans in all of his racist, xenophobic glory. The use persists, and the context of it's origin is important because where we are now is a natural result of US arrogance.

doesn't roll off the tongue.

USAers...stick with Americans if you want. I'm just saying that the arrogance and how it came to be part of the lexicon matters.

You talk about the middle class, but not the poor, the disadvantaged, the unemployed, or the 'working' or 'lower' classes. No mention of minorities. Concentrating on the middle class is centrist, or centre-right.

The USA still has people without healthcare, and elected a spiteful conman who wanted to increase that number, and a Congress to back him on it. They elected a Congress that wanted to slash taxes on the rich. Internationally, this does not look progressive.

I don't know how Stein voters or those who didn't vote for Sec. Clinton can sleep at night.

states. Conservatives hold the majority of governorships and legislatures...statewide races. And I for one will not lose this election In a McGovern style loss because we put up the wrong candidate. There are candidates who can appeal to both liberals and moderates.