General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: "The Hard Left are no different than the Hard Right" [View all]Maedhros
(10,007 posts)As you say, every poll shows that Americans support liberal policies: protecting Social Security, universal health care, protecting the environment, etc.
Votes are not earned in this country, they are harvested. The political parties have moved to the right and they use mass media marketing techniques to harvest the votes they need. A primary method they use to accomplish this is to point at the other side and screech about how horrible it would be if they were elected. Voters have followed their parties rightward, because voters have become tribal. Democrats must win, not because they support liberal policies, but because the Republicans must be defeated.
Voters haven't moved to the right, they have just abandoned ideology altogether in favor of tribal identity. That's why they demonize the "extreme Left" - we aren't going along to get along.