This year’s elections are taking shaping as a battle between Tea Party-ers and progressives. One can only hope this means the end of Republicans and Democrats. Probably not.

But I love the more starkly drawn line between this year’s combatants: Progressives vs. Tea Partyers.

Tea Partyers. We know what they’re about. Hate ObamaCare. Send the immigrants back where they came from. Maintain your home arsenal in good working order. We’re the cops of the world. (Thanks, Phi Ochs, for seeing this so many years ago.) Give the rich a break, and remind the structurally poor and disenfranchised that this is the home of the free. They should be proud that they’re on their own to succeed or fail.

Progressives. Imagine something different for the 21st century. Make the assimilation of today’s “huddled masses yearning to breathe free” a healthy and productive exercise for everyone. Increase the minimum wage to give our middle class families more breathing room to enjoy the freedoms we’ve fought so hard to maintain since 9/11.

Afterword:

I didn’t post this in time to pre-date the elections, and we all know what happened. I’m choosing not to see this as the defeat of progressive values. There were too many other things going on to dwell on that. Mid-term election norms. Record-breaking election spending, especially by conservatives. Progressive fatigue. Obama disenchantment. Better luck next time.