The words mean what they mean, it's also possible to be both and not have to be one or the other as politics suggest.
Besides, the Republicans that have been running office are not conservative of the most important things, like mercy and economy. The only traditional values they hold dear are those of tyrants that ruled over an uninformed and ideally unarmed populace with a superior military, basically the past leaders that were on a regional or global conquest.
The majority of the spotlight Democrats, if not the whole, are as liberal as Karl Rove. Unless progressive thinking means supporting throwing the foundation and honor of the country and it's military into the world's largest toilet. The only ones i'm proud of are Boxer, Reid, and few others.
Look at the dividing terms;
liberal left/religious right
I'm sure you can think of a few more.
All the popular terms and descriptors aid in a form of political, moral and religious segregation. The more of them the more they're heard, the more they're heard especially ones that are meant to be spiteful or offensive, the more divided we become. Disabling or at least hindering an opposition from a rallied and truly united force if something were to occur, like civil or political war.
Does anybody believe that elections would be nearly 50/50 two elections in a row, if people understood what it was they're voting for? Both political parties are prepackaged, heat and serve.
Liberal medias ask "Where's the outrage??", it's lost somewhere in this segregation process. Once the public realizes they have been duped and did not get what's inside the box, we will be on a better path for the future and so will many others.