Do you believe people are not aware of their differences in view point to the extent they will alway miss label themselves? Or is their label choice based upon their assessment of the majority of their views?
I find that most people are simply disinterested with politics altogether. A very large percentage of the population really doesn't even understand what the terms liberal or conservative mean, or if they do, they have a vague understanding.
While EvC is a microcosm of society, I think EvC attracts enough cerebral and decently informed people that we wouldn't have that issue here, but there are an astonishing amount of uninformed and/or apathetic people walking amongst us.
These are the people that politicians target the most; that they'll whisper sweet nothings in their ear to gain their trust.
"Reason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it" -- Thomas Paine