Do Moderates Matter -- Or Is the Political 'Middle' a Myth?

Photo by Josh Johnson on Unsplash
Author: Dan Sally
Published: 28 Apr, 2025
●
1 min read
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.
In this article
Related articles
The Politics of Pandering: From Blockades to Bro-Outreach
Last week, Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville, who led a one-man blockade preventing military promotions under the Biden Administration, announced he would not be seeking reelection. On the other side of the aisle, Democrats launched a $20 million campaign to learn how to talk to men....
02 Jun, 2025
-
1 min read
Presidential Health: Who Determines When a President Is Unfit to Serve?
In this episode, Dan and Shawn examine how the system let this happen, how similar failures have played out in American history, and what it says about a two-party structure that forces voters to choose between different flavors of dysfunction, rather than ensuring effective governance....
20 May, 2025
-
1 min read
The GOP's Biggest Opponent In 2026 -- Itself
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has announced he won’t run for Senate in 2026 - a surprising move given his strong statewide appeal and proven ability to win over independents....
13 May, 2025
-
1 min read
Latest articles
Everyone Agrees There’s Medicare Waste to Cut — Here’s Why It Hasn’t Happened
As the Senate takes up the House-passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), some lawmakers are considering a slate of Medicare reforms aimed at reducing waste, fraud, and abuse within the program, which analysts say can be achieved through specific reforms that are not tied to partisan agendas....
10 Jun, 2025
-
5 min read
The ‘2% Democracy’: New Jersey Primary Elections Need Complete Systemic Overhaul
New Jersey will hold its statewide primary elections on Tuesday, June 10, to determine who will appear in the general election for the highest offices in the state, including governor. These are important elections – and yet they will be decided by a marginal percentage of voters....
09 Jun, 2025
-
4 min read
Boston, Concord Want Ranked Choice Voting -- Here's Why State Law Makes It Difficult
Concord is the latest town in Massachusetts to signal it wants to adopt ranked choice voting after residents overwhelmingly voted for Article 28 in a town meeting Wednesday. The vote comes not long after the Boston City Council advanced its own ranked choice voting measure....
09 Jun, 2025
-
4 min read