For a bit of context, I am someone who is generally more economically left of center, while socially right of center. This generally translates to being nice unions and workers, strategic protectionism, being tolerant in a way in which it produces the least amount of harm, being pro-reform over pro-revolt, encouraging people to have families, and having a social safety net.
I feel like the people at Project Liberal do come from a good place and there are things we would both agree with: general tolerance, a some form of a market economy, being tolerant of those in and outside of our country, the first amendment, liberal democracy, general freedom, YIMBYism (especially), and nuclear power.
My main issue with them is that I feel like they convey themselves in a way that can sound very out of touch with Americans on both the left and the right. Things like saying that Berniesque Democratic Party would be disastrous is pretty out of touch. I get they have reasons why they believe that, but it can still turn people off. People are struggling because wages have stagnated, healthcare is broken, education to get into higher paying jobs is getting more expensive, and it’s harder to buy a house. People do not like that big corporations underpay them and that landlords go unchecked. I they want to appeal to people, they need to stop posturing as policy wonks and actual make a good claim why they have the moral high ground. I think they can do that. They want to remove outdated zoning laws that have partial origins in segregation; they want affordability as evidenced by them being free trade and anti-tariff; they’re against businesses receiving special favors, something that can really resonate given what Elon Musk is doing. For now though, they simply talk like they know everything instead of explaining what they fight for.
In the end, I like that they are good people who respect others, but they need to bring the bigger guns.
