[andyfox]

Conservatives have painted liberalism, as practiced by the Democrats when they were in the saddle, as responsible for many of today's woes. So if you're a liberal, you're on the wrong side. Since conservatives have been in the saddle, liberals think it better to not call themselves liberals, preferring "progressive" or other euphemisms.

IIRC, Democrats did the same thing with the word "conservative" in the 1960s. The shoe's just on the other foot now.