Talking Point

In hotly contested 2008 congressional races on November 4, 2008, the Democratic winners were—overwhelmingly—real progressives who campaigned and won on progressive platforms. Voters didn’t just elect Democrats, they elected progressives. The Campaign for America's Future report on the 2008 election predicts at least a 36-vote swing to the left in the House and at least a 10-vote swing to the left in the Senate. Meanwhile, the House Progressive Caucus says it expects to add at least 11 new members to its ranks, increasing its size to at least 84 of the House's 254 Democrats. Those numbers are a strong argument against the majority of voters wanting the new administration and Congress to govern more conservatively.