Study: US Democrats have indeed moved left in the last four decades. By The Economist.

The Economist’s analysis of a measure of candidate ideology, developed by Adam Bonica of Stanford University, finds that the average Democratic primary-winner in 2018 is indeed more liberal than in 2016 (see chart). Democratic candidates are also more scattered over the ideological spectrum than they have been in recent years. A higher share are either extremely liberal or atypically moderate compared with previous cycles. …

To the possible dismay of the left, the centre appears to be holding.

This says a lot. Look at the shift to the far left in the Democrats, the hollowing out of the middle, and the disappearance of the right-leaning Democrats.:

It’s common to find people who say they didn’t leave the Democrats but the Democrats left them. This shows why they say that.

If you were near the political center and believed in basics like free speech, freedom of association, and treating people according to their character rather than their skin color, then the Democrats and the new left have indeed “progressed” to somewhere dark and painful.