@hightor,
Yes I think they are and have long been attracted to the imperial president if he espouses their philosophy two of the most autocratic presidents this nation has ever had were Woodrow Wilson and FDR and both were very attractive to progressives.
Progressives loudly denounce the notion of an imperial presidency whenever the president is a Republican however the original concept of progressive ideology,(and one to which they largely subscribe) that a class of experts using science (largely social rather than hard) were far better suited to govern than unqualified yokels put in power by popular vote is clearly not particularly democratic in nature. It is also not particularly efficient and especially so when it is subject to interference form the rabble and their representatives empowered by democracy. It is best for all, goes progressive thinking, when an elite class is allowed to exercise the skills they have been trained in, based on the knowledge they have gained through extensive education, in an enlightened manner that takes in account what is truly proper for the functioning of a just and healthy society. I suppose at their deepest philosophical level they would prefer this mandarin class to function with minimal executive involvement, counting on the collegiality and enlightened vision and intent of the mandarins. However, as is often the case with the deepest levels of philosophical thought, reality has a way of messing up the best of plans and it is then that the Philosopher King is required. At best a first among equals but if an autocrat like Wilson or FDR is required to move the vast ship of state from its clearly unacceptable stasis in dry-dock, so be it.
I agree that the people who I label as progressives are not all strict adherents to progressivism, it is a label many have chosen for themselves, and the progressive school of thought has transformed over the decades. I've grown tired of choosing between among labels despite the fact that in so many discussion some form of label is necessary and so I tend to accede to their wishes and use "progressive" even when it isn't entirely accurate.
It isn't necessary to perceive the corrupt, and inefficient status quo as the embodiment of evil to recognize that it is choking the life out of the nation and needs to be changed. A man who grossly indulges his appetites in food and wine is not evil nor necessarily suicidal but in most cases if he doesn't change his habits his life will end sooner than later.
Trump's ego does concern me, but if I thought he was so egotistical to think that he and only he can reform our corrupted system I would be even more concerned. For eight years we have been led by a man who was so egotistical that he believed that he alone could not only reform our system of government but transform our entire society, but because he eschewed the bombast on which Trump thrives, and assumed the guise of the Philosopher King his more massive ego was not as demonstrable or feared.
I can be proven wrong of course but at this point in time I see Trump surrounding himself with advisers who are anything but sycophants while Obama did the exact opposite. Think about this, if Trump was really the utterly self-absorbed egotist he's painted to be; who is so crippled by his insecurities that he can't function normally do you really think he would have reacted with such clear equanimity as one cabinet pick after another presented opinions that were clearly at odd with some of those upon which he based his candidacy? The man you describe would surely have been tweeting like mad about how wrong General Mattis, Dr. Carson and the others were, the airwaves would be filled with leaked stories about how he raged about betrayals and more than one of his nominees would have been fired before the confirmation process had ended.
Trump is something of a wildcard and he may prove to be a lousy president, but I simply do not believe he is the cartoon figure his enemies wish to cast him as. There are reasons of power and self-interest for certain segments of both the media and the government to want to establish his public image as a completely loose canon and even someone unhinged by his egotism. I am not so gullible as to think these segments are acting only in the national interest, or so cynical to do so because it serves my own self-interest, even if that self-interest is only appearing to be enlightened and clever on in this forum.
The task of substantially reforming our corrupt and decrepit government is not going to be an easy one, and, I believe, it will take the leadership of someone who is unpredictable, determined and unafraid. It will also take a team of qualified, talented individuals who buy on to the general premise that major reform is necessary, but who feel comfortable telling the man in charge what they actually think. There is evidence to believe this is the way Trump has run a successful business, and I see evidence that he is putting the same structure in place in his Administration.
As much as I believe it is vital to America's continuing health that this reform is accomplished, I am not prepared to give up our precious constitutional rights to ensure the trains run on time. He will need to go up to the line and bump it every now and again but if he crosses it, he will lose my support and gain my opposition. Having said this, I am not going to allow his enemies and the enemies of reform define for me when the line is crossed. He was only sworn in on Sat and for weeks now we've been told by supposed esteemed members of the press and "loyal opposition" that he has already repeatedly crossed it. It's utter nonsense.
There is absolutely no rational basis for the degree of opposition he has faced since being elected. No one I know is able to see into the future, and I don't believe that his critics who I don't know personally, have this power.
One of the reasons he is being so fiercely opposed by entrenched powers is that he instills fear, the fear of having some or all of that power taken away. He's not the typical Republican who is desperate for the approval of the media and who is repeatedly fooled by their flattery until, power is on the line and they turn like vicious dogs. It remains incredible to me that John McCain was such a fool that he actually believed the MSM liked or respected him and would not do to him what it's done to every GOP candidate. He was stunned by the phony NY Times story about his having an extra-marital affair and never got over it.
I'll say this about progressives/liberals/Democrats, when they want something they go for it. They don't allow a story in the media to throw them off-stride and force retractions, apologies and the figurative execution of loyal soldiers, and they don't attack one another more than they attack the opposition. I suppose someone will make an argument that these differences in the Democrat and Republican "ways" are a matter of honor, but that's baloney.
Trump is not that kind of Republican and I'm glad for it. America's future is at stake and if you feel the need to be "gentlemanly" towards enemies who are twisting the knife they've just plunged in your back, but smiling at you, you shouldn't be playing such a high stakes and deadly game.
