They vote for centrists because they believe policy that helps them and the people they know is actually less electable than typical centrist, means-tested bullshit that helps nobody. Every election the talking heads on CNN tell them “Don’t vote for the candidate with the best policy, vote for the candidate an imaginary conservative suburbanite would vote for.”
The median voter who is 50% democrat, 50% republican, who will vote for a 98% republican against a 100% republican isn’t a real thing, but the dems pretend it is because it allows them to justify wildly unpopular policy to their own base.
They vote for centrists because they believe policy that helps them and the people they know is actually less electable than typical centrist, means-tested bullshit that helps nobody. Every election the talking heads on CNN tell them “Don’t vote for the candidate with the best policy, vote for the candidate an imaginary conservative suburbanite would vote for.”
The median voter who is 50% democrat, 50% republican, who will vote for a 98% republican against a 100% republican isn’t a real thing, but the dems pretend it is because it allows them to justify wildly unpopular policy to their own base.
Yet somehow they get elected…
Because the DNC and state parties ratfuck and progressive in the primaries.
That, or because primary voters (outside of new York and la) prefer the centrists.