I read this op-ed late last night and while I agree somewhat in principle with the gist of the article, I had a problem with the construct the author took to reach his conclusions. So I bring it to the larger C&L readership; are we seeing a resurgence of liberal thinking in the US? Did any of you find the author's reasoning a little clueless, as I did?

IHT:*

These are balmy days on the American left - genuine, uncharacteristic sunniness unpolluted by some fluky political climate change. There is even talk of a - stutter, clear-throat, perish-thought - liberal resurgence.

Or, treading gingerly, a "liberal moment."

"Hell, ya, this is a liberal moment," exults Thomas Frank, author of "What's the Matter With Kansas?" - and yes, he even calls himself a "liberal" writer, eschewing the sleeker "progressive" stage name that many lefties are preferring these days. He declares this "liberal moment" loud and proud. Until the inevitable qualifier comes.

"A potentially liberal moment," Mr. Frank says, "assuming that liberal politicians can seize the moment and get beyond their usual plague of incompetence."

Oh, snap. Liberal optimism, thy name is caution and caveat.

But it is optimism nonetheless, and well-founded, too, say Mr. Frank and a broad spectrum of political thinkers and leaders. And, they say, the evidence goes beyond the obvious indicators - the ascendance of Democrats in the House and Senate, President Bush's second-term belly-flop and poll numbers showing the Democratic Party trending left and the nation's political center trending Democratic.

* This op-ed, originally printed (and linked to) in the NY Times had a registration requirement to read, and so I've found it reprinted for free access by the International Herald Tribune.