This is just a small observation that has been building in my mind, but has recently come clear. As this is being written in a small break between work, I am not including any sources – this is based on my own experiences talking to people who categorize themselves either more towards the right or left in American politics.

It seems one of the main differences between the left and the right is in how they approach their own beliefs and party, and how they decide who to vote for. In my opinion, this has gone to the extremes on either sides.

While the right does have variation in their beliefs, they tend to exhibit much more loyalty to party in their voting patterns. While their candidates may not represent all of their beliefs, they will stick to voting “Republican”. This how now extended to the extreme where they will look the other way when self-proclaimed Nazis walk into the same rallies that they are in. Many republicans claim to not be racists, but then refuse to examine their own party and why it attracts the extreme right-wing.

On the left, people are so “disloyal” that one issue is enough for them to decide not to vote for that party, even if they align with most of that party’s beliefs. The in-fighting is constant and often bitter – you’d think they disagreed on everything, rather than just a couple of issues. Take the Israel/Palestine conflict. No matter which side you are on the issue, the Democratic Party for the 2024 election had their hands tied either way. Neither the Pro-Palestine or Pro-Israel sides of the Democratic party would have allowed nuance on that issue.

The right needs to take a hard look at their own party and ask, truly, how far is too far before loyalty becomes blind worship. The left needs to take a hard look at their own party and ask, truly, what it means to build coalition, understanding, and compromise.