With the progressive wing of the Democratic Party moving to assert itself in the 2026 midterms, many on the left worry these new candidates will scare away moderate voters. Yet Donald Trump's victories in 2016 and 2024 show moderates don't appear to spook easily. In this episode, Dan and Shawn break down how the term 'moderate' can be misleading and how the two-party system, party primaries, and the ability to micro-target audiences have marginalized moderate voters.
Do Moderates Matter -- Or Is the Political 'Middle' a Myth?
With the progressive wing of the Democratic Party moving to assert itself in the 2026 midterms, many on the left worry these new candidates will scare away moderate voters. Yet Donald Trump's victories in 2016 and 2024 show moderates don't appear to spook easily.
By
Dan Sally
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Dan Sally
Dan Sally serves on the Digital Strategy Council for Rank the Vote and is host of the podcast ‘You Don’t Have to Yell’, which discusses today’s most pressing issues without the partisan spin.
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