The differences between the democratic party and the republican party are primarily aesthetic and procedural - being more concerned about whether the rules were followed than about whether innocent people are dying.

This is simply an oversimplification to the degree of being simply not true. Are there democrats who are "pro-death but within the rules"? Absolutely. Are they the entire party? No. Some democratic politicians aren't really "pro" anything, they just go with the flow and some are authentically progressive and against endlessly bombing the middle east. Right now we're at a tipping point where there are enough progressives to spook the inauthentic "middle" democrat who doesn't care either way, they just want to get re-elected. All it took was sacrificing a bunch of people domestically (and abroad actually, starving Africans... and probably extra Palestinians) to the blood smeared altar of fascism by letting Trump win again. Congrats to the "anti-genocide" side I guess.

There are a couple of more progressive candidates here and there, but even the most progressive democrat politician is usually still way more moderate than the median democratic voter.

This is conjecture and fundamentally not knowable. Even progressives will control their language to avoid the full ire of the DNC leadership. Just like there are republicans who are legitimately just Nazi's, christian death cultists, or pro-rape or whatever but pretend to be "good ol boys" (though barely bother to do that now) there are progressives who probably secretly want socialism.

I've met plenty of people who describe themselves as "Dem Voters" and people who don't vote at all. To describe the average or median of them as "more progressive" than the most progressive democrat legitimately is an insane thing to believe. Do you live in an urban center in a major blue city or something? (If so I'm jealous) Because that is light years from what I see.

Protest and elect. Emphasis on protest.

I appreciate that you still have hope and are trying. I mean, I'm still going to do the bare minimum and vote (including primaries) but my days of activism, donating, and volunteering are fucking over now. I'm way too bitter and cynical.

Get as involved as you can with activist efforts locally. Organize, network, focus on building solidarity.

I used to do that. I live in a red state and dude the average person here in is a dire state ideologically. Its like trying to help people who if they knew what I am and what I actually believed would consider me a pariah and probably find me to be a disgusting nihilistic anti-theist communist sexual degenerate.

And they'd be right on at least two counts.

Don’t punch down Don’t punch left.

I don't know that I believe that the concept of "left" is coherent anymore. Is punching a progressive liberal OK since they're technically to my right? Doing so seems counter intuitive to electoral victory at all. Tankies are frequently described as to my "left" but tbh I think this makes no sense given who they tend to side with and I'd much rather punch them...

As for punching down, you'll have to pry the r-slur from my cold dead hands. I'm not even sorry because I'm not talking about people with special needs when I use the word. I'm talking about MAGA's, libertarian's, religious people, and ruroids when I use that word.