Reply #22: We do not live in a multi-party parlimentary system...

[Solon]

we live in a state with two political parties that more resemble coalitions than political parties. This is part of the reason why our parties, both of them, have such a wide variety of politicians and people in them. In such a system, conservatives actually have an advantage, because the mindset of conservatives is more receptive to the idea of following the leader or following the party.

Because of this, leftwing activists already are locked out of the system, simply because they are given minority status because they are fractured themselves, and attempting to impose either party discipline or following a leader on them will backfire, badly.

If this were a multi-party state, let's say a four or three party state, we wouldn't even be having this conversation, we would be members of the left-most political party that wouldn't have either Obama or Hillary on the presidential ticket, nor would the DLC or Blue Dogs be members either, they would be members of either a centrist or center-right party, depending on how many viable parties there actually are.