Interesting semantic dissection: " 'Labels are more than descriptors. They are also weapons in our polarized political culture. Sharon Jarvis, an associate professor of communication studies at the University of Texas, has written extensively on political labels. She traced the path of 'liberal' from something Harry Truman was proud to be to a term John Kerry seemed to run from. Republicans have been more successful at defending their labels and demonizing the other party’s, she told me. The Times still uses liberal, though many onetime liberals now prefer 'progressive.' Philip Corbett, the standards editor, said, 'We should be wary of adopting a euphemism like that,' but 'progressive' is beginning to appear in The Times."