One of the things that distinguishes progressives from conservatives is how they evaluate the status quo. Conservatives compare the way things are with the way they might be and conclude that things aren't all that bad. Progressives compare the way things are with the way they might be and conclude that things are bad indeed. Conservatives think that change is as likely to make things worse as it is to make things better. Progressives think that change cannot but make things better, given how bad things are. The dominant conservative emotion is fear—of regress. The dominant progressive emotion is hope—for progress. Conservatives believe that civil society is a fragile achievement. Progressives believe that civil society is unjust and in need of improvement.
It's interesting that there is a similar split among conservatives today. Some of them compare Donald Trump to Hillary Clinton (the likely Democrat nominee) and conclude that Trump is superior. Some compare Donald Trump to a perfect candidate (or even to someone admittedly imperfect, such as Jeb Bush or Marco Rubio) and conclude that Trump is inferior. The former are more than happy to get on the Trump bandwagon. The latter are determined to stay off the bandwagon and never miss an opportunity to say just how loud, uncouth, vulgar, inarticulate, and mean-spirited he is. My advice to the latter is to reflect on the type of Supreme Court nominees you're likely to get from Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, respectively. If that doesn't cure your Trump Derangement Syndrome, nothing will.
