I commend to you the writings of George Lakoff, the answer to Wrong Wing's Frank Luntz.

A liberal is concerned with:
1. Helping the poor and middle class when they are being beaten down by rich folks.
2. Trade unionism as a protection for these people, teachers, fireman, cops, and all kinds of public employees.
3. Avoiding authoritarian answers to problems such as military autonomy, cultural demogoguery, pulpit pounding, and child abuse through corporal punishment,
and the execution of people by the state.
4. A nourishing and healing view of the world by helping people who need it.
5. A support for those who are ravaged by earthquakes, floods, Katrinas and
opposition to global change deniers who defend their position by advocating financial greed.
6. A single-payer health care bill to protect every citizen.
7. An opposition for the funding of death squads in other countries by American military.
8. An advocacy for equal rights, women's rights, children's rights, the Constitution of the U.S., a peaceful defiance and resistance rather than a military one.
9. A government that answers the needs of the aforementioned
and there's more and nothing paradoxical about it.