I don't like Jill Stein or support the Green "spoiler strategy" but let's be honest about it.

[Armstead]

78. Many people who have progressive views are similar to "moderate" voters

Only a small number of people actively engage in the hard grind of direct involvement in partisan politics all the time.

Most Clinton supporters and other average "mainstream" Democrats are the same way. You can blame them for midterm losses just as much as progressives.

People have busy lives and jobs, or don't have the personal qualities necessary to work the political system. And they have to be more concerned with paying their bills, and all the otehr pressures of life, rather than obsessing over politics.

And/or they may have other things they channel their beliefs into and work to advance their values, such as community volunteering, participating in issues-oriented advocacy or careers that reflect their social goals, etc.

They support a candidate as their representative. So they show up every four years and root for a presidential campaign, but take less interest in partisan politics or off-year elections.


It's not ideal, but its human nature and social dynamics. It's not just a problem, confined to progressives.