As a lefty who had worked and voted for a lot of candidates I considered moderates,

[Atticus]

"can't we all just get along?" I've just never been into that "cutting off your nose" thing. A moderate Democrat is much more humane than any Republican, so what's to decide? Hopefully, most moderate Democrats would vote for one of us liberals using the same reasoning.

Life's too short, folks. Let's do this, OK?

[Hortensis]

1. Yes!

In the spirit of understanding, discussion would benefit tremendously if we all spoke the same, fact-based language. Shopping-cart definitions are not just confusing but used everywhere to manipulate thinking (and dishonest media use them all as needed to fit their purpose) and to try to win silly arguments dishonestly.

So: There is no such thing as a "moderate" personality type. We are all basically intrinsically conservative or liberal (until scientists define other types). Within liberal and conservative personalities, people range from very moderate, to middlin', to strong, to ...extreme.

(But positions can of course be considered moderate.)

So we have both moderate liberals and moderate conservatives who are different in a lot of ways but with a lot in common. These, plus strong liberals, are most of the people who were able to cooperate and form a majority that made the New Deal possible. Our strong center that broke, as Obama lamented.

I think all of our conservative Democrats are on the moderate side. Today's strong ("they're crazy" ) conservatives just couldn't stomach the accommodations our Blue Dogs continually make as Democrats to our shared goals. Overall, they average roughly half and half voting "Trump" (including as needed to satisfy their voters) and Democrat, while their Republican counterparts are more like 97-100% Trump.

Btw, people trending extremist on both sides are so very different from moderate to strongs that I'm fully expecting new definitions to eventually put them in their own categories. Right now people who supper hammering nails in trees to kill lumberjacks and those who support bombing abortion clinics are often being called liberals and conservatives as if they didn't have a great deal in common with each other (including despising the rest of us) and very little with anyone else.

[left-of-center2012]

2. Hopefully, 'they' will also vote for progressives

I fear "progressives" get a bad rap,
at times.

[Wwcd]

3. (Sigh) The Dem Party Platform is Progressive.

What is the Progressive Party Platform?
The two have rarely been as divided as 2016.

Explain the big dividing difference?
From what I have seen, they are too simiar to be calling themselves 2 separate Parties.

2016 messaging is what divided the 2. Not policy.

Just saying.
I've been aligned with both.

[left-of-center2012]

4. I was not referring to the "Progressive Party"

I was referring to progressive Democrats.

[Wwcd]

5. Thanks for that then. It amazes me how intent some are in creating 2 Parties out of one & pretty..

..much the same.

They aren't 2 separate Parties...they have always worked together as far as I recall, for as long as I remenber.

3rd Party, Green, Republican.
Those are the ones who will stop the progression of a free society.
Not Democrats & Progressives.

See?