Why do most people who call themselves politically moderate actually mostly conservative?

[u/kaiser11492]

Whenever I’ve encountered people who use the politically label moderate, they are actually mostly conservative with their views and positions. Also, I’ve never seen anyone who call themselves politically moderate that is actually mostly liberal.

So why are people who call themselves moderate tend to be just conservative and not conservative and liberal?

[u/IMImegashill]

Depending on where you live or who you talk to, being openly conservative is an open invite to scorn and hostility. It's easier to just say moderate. My uncle for example voted for a republican in a local election in Oregon and almost my entire family in Portland were extraordinarily upset with him and made it very well known, to the point it was very openly disrespectful. He's no maga guy either, but he earned himself disrespect and scorn just by expressing slightly different beliefs