GIVE US THAT OLD TIME RELIGION.

Here is an instructive Mahablog meditation on the meaning of "Vital Progressive Center."

In short, what gets called “centrism” these days is barely indistinguishable from Coolidge-era conservatism. what gets called “centrism” these days is barely indistinguishable from Coolidge-era conservatism. “Centrism” is a code word for the status quo opinions of the very wealthy and their elite media lapdogs. It bears no resemblance whatsoever to the Vital Center [historian Arthur] Schlesinger wrote about.

Let’s call our current centrism Faux Centrism, since it has nothing to do with a middle ground between extremes.

This tells us a lot about why Democrats kept losing elections by running “centrist” candidates. Faux Centrism simply doesn’t reflect the needs and concerns of most Americans. Faux Centrism is indistinguishable from moderate conservatism. They may be more liberal than most conservatives on, say, LGBTQ rights, but they are opposed to policies that would make the lives of most people any better. Faux Centrists are the same species as neoliberals, whose commitment to civil liberty for the individual ignores social reality. They’ll tell you they champion your right to live your life as you wish while they favor policies that will devastate your community and ship your job to China.

Yes, and Donald Trump ran for president by griping about those jobs going to China whilst being benignly neglectful about much of the culture wars, at least those elements that involved people who would be out of his league.

I repeat, because repeat I must, "Governance by Wise Experts has failed.  Whether the gentry will be turfed out and replaced by the yeomanry remains to be seen."  New faces offering new technocratic initiatives with new variations on "new" in their names are simply updated recipes for the same snake oil.