Actually, Akenaton, while the right-wing has largely succeeded in demonizing the word "liberal," surveys of Americans' opinions on specific issues and policies show that, contrary to what the corporate media usually say, the country is pretty much center-left today.

I agree that the progressives and liberals should join the independents, but not by forming a third party. That won't work at the national level , given both our Constitutionals system & the increasing monopolization of people's information sources by big international corporations.   But if Green Party and labor advocates & other progressives stay in or JOIN the Democratic party and become active at the local level, they can pull the party to the left from where it is now -- which is to say, toward the REAL "center" of political ideology, which would appeal to a large percentage of independents, if not most of them.

The "Tea Party" had a non-trivial degree of success over the last two election cycles, not by becoming a third party but by staying with the Republicans and basically taking over portions of that party at the local and state levels.