Don't knock politics as a kneejerk activity. Any time you express an opinion and defend it, you participate in political activity You are attempting to get others to agree with you or support you. It een happens at social events.

In the case of many folkies, there is the additional factor of entertainment as well as political validation. Most of the people there are probably there for the entertainment first.

One of the beauties of our system is that you are allowed to express yourself, no matter how much of an idiot you come off as. If you get enough people to agree with you, you can classify as a movement, a union or a party.

In theory, that is what elections are for, is to judge candidates' opinions.