The problem here is that the English language is not specific. It uses terms that people use even though they do not truly understand what they are identifying with. For example, the term “liberal”. This has been usurped by the Democratic party. Sounds good. Has a positive connotation. Sounds positive. But this gets lumped into the same category as “progressive” now. And the term “conservative” use bandied about mostly by the press, to refer to fat-cat bureaucrats and crony capitalists, A perceived negative term that most people who claim to be conservative have no affinity to. Most of the liberals do not really want a controlling fascist state regulating every aspect of our lives and stomping on people that do not adhere. While the folks running their party rail against such an idea, that is exactly what they have built. And most of the folks that identify as conservative do not identify with the corrupted group of RINOs that has taken over most of the Republican party. The ones that want the perpetual war that the government has been running to continue.
Liberals have more in common with little “r” conservatives than they do with the progressives and little “r”s are closer to liberals than they are to the RINOs. And the Progressives and the RINOs are working very hard to prevent either group from getting with the other and from providing either with a more central American choice in politics.
delendam 
Oh, and (big “L”) Liberals, as I call them, have been good at co-opting language/terms and making them stick. I.e. ” progressive”, labeling their agenda “Forward” (implying anything else is reverse)
Judas goats say “Forward.”