Liberals are more afraid of progressives than they are of fascists. This is despite progressives being an essential part of any liberal power base. The reason for this is simple. The liberals want to appear nice and fair, but liberals are fundamentally creatures of the status quo. And progressives deliver disruption and upheaval to the status quo, while fascists seek to militantly enforce the status quo.
There is a reason why liberals tend to be middle class or better. Because in order to be enamored of the status quo, the status quo has to be benefiting you. And so the progressive movement is more appealing to those not being served by the liberal status quo. And so, despite having ideological sympathy for the progressives, the liberals will continually cozy up to fascists who defend the status quo- even when the end game of said fascists involves devouring liberals whole as part of their ideological end game.
Professor Harbinger's School for Villains 