It’s entirely pragmatic. I look at my preferred political/economic/cultural vision, and I ask: in what way must I cast my ballot in order to steer the nation closer to that ideal?

To answer this question honestly means being realistic about the mechanisms by which people wield power. Unfortunately, there is currently no mechanism available at the national level to help third parties wield power.

Based on my policy preferences, a vote for any Republican would get us further from my ideal, and a vote for any third party, or abstaining from voting, would only help Republicans. I therefore have no option other than the Democrats.

It’s not that Ive drunk any koolaid. It’s just rational choice theory. That said, the best way to shape an institution is from within, and I also think Democrats are more likely to listen to me when I express disagreement. It’s a bigger, more diverse tent than the GOP. So its failings, while real, seem more likely to be remedied by healthy debate.