You'd think but it isn't so. For instance, abortion is a hot button topic. For someone like me, a conservative leaner, I don't care. However, if you're a staunch pro-lifer, for whatever reason, you can't reconcile a differing opinion on the subject. It's just bad. So a fiscal conservative who is pro-choice just can't get those votes. Liberals can't imagine cutting spending if it affects social programs. So the pro-choice fiscal liberal can't get their votes. So, while many Americans consider themselves "independents" or in the middle of the political spectrum, they really aren't. There are just some things they hold too close to their heart.