The point is, the Democratic and Republican parties no longer appeal to a good portion of the American public. Many abstained from voting on Election Day because neither party candidate appealed to them. They were equally disillusioned with “left” and “right.”

As Linker notes, there are some whose votes were influenced by the level of elitism attached to a person’s background and ethos. Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton were equally guilty of association with the establishment. Trump and Sanders, despite their radically different policy positions, similarly appealed to voters with their populism.

We’ve also seen a rise in nationalistic versus cosmopolitan tendencies and arguments. The immigration debate often falls along these lines, as do many debates surrounding economic policy.

But there are also many folks who identify with humanitarian or planetary issues they believe important: abortion, economic sustainability, animal rights, human rights crises around the world. Many conservatives have seen the Republican Party desert or ignore one of the issues most important to them and their families: the pro-life issue. For these individuals, a party’s practical platform often matters more than the big-picture philosophies behind it. Many pro-life folks I know would vote for a Democrat in a heartbeat if he or she promised to defund Planned Parenthood.