It's okay to run on progressive policies in swing districts. Proof:
Tom Perriello in Virginia, Carol Shea-Porter in New Hampshire, Alan Grayson in Florida, Mary Jo Kilroy in Ohio and John Hall in New York all represent swing districts and have cast votes that Washington consultants label "tough." Those tough votes, though, are paying off in unexpected ways: By bucking the conventional wisdom, the progressive Democrats have locked down support among their base and are winning over independents, while Blue Dogs face a dispirited electorate unsure what they stand for.
Just saying. Voters like strong leadership more than transparent pandering. The other night on Hardball, Matthews chastised a blue dog Democratic candidate for using the Republican misnomer/pejorative "Democrat Party." This same candidate (his name and generic politician hair/regalia escape me) was basically playing the role of a Republican without the actual affiliation. Matthews sniffed this guy out as a phony in a heartbeat, and so it's not a stretch to assume voters have, too.
Anyway, Democrats (and liberal activists for that matter) don't need to act like Republicans in order to win. Issue-by-issue, Americans are more liberal than conservative, and they'll get it.