Yeah, an interesting implication of a lack of substantive policy differences is that policy-heavy partisans on either side are going to be disappointed - the necessities of tribalism generate a lot of noise and rage around controversial issues, but when it comes down to actual policy there's no appetite.
I saw an interesting example of this first-hand last year. I live in a pretty bougie area, kind of place where everyone's car radio (and everyone owns a car) is pegged to the local NPR station. BLM signs went up like mushrooms - sure, neat. Then, the local school levy election rolls around. Most of the same properties grow "Vote Yes For Kids!" signs. We even get "vote yes" mailers explaining that since the state only funds "basic education", we've got to top up our local schools to do right by our kids. Of course, any discussion of how areas without fat property tax revenues get by is conspicuously absent. There is not a lot of appreciation of the irony of holding these positions simultaneously. Words (and yard signs, I guess) are cheap but policy might actually impact upper-middle-class WASP QoL; can't be having that.
I saw an interesting example of this first-hand last year. I live in a pretty bougie area, kind of place where everyone's car radio (and everyone owns a car) is pegged to the local NPR station. BLM signs went up like mushrooms - sure, neat. Then, the local school levy election rolls around. Most of the same properties grow "Vote Yes For Kids!" signs. We even get "vote yes" mailers explaining that since the state only funds "basic education", we've got to top up our local schools to do right by our kids. Of course, any discussion of how areas without fat property tax revenues get by is conspicuously absent. There is not a lot of appreciation of the irony of holding these positions simultaneously. Words (and yard signs, I guess) are cheap but policy might actually impact upper-middle-class WASP QoL; can't be having that.