"I'm not ready to give you a clear answer on whether electoral politics holds any particular hope for progressives. It would mean that nothing I did ever mattered"

This quote by Tom Hayden suggests that he is uncertain about the capacity of electoral politics to bring about progressive change. He suggests that he has not yet reached a conclusion on the matter, which he is still considering the problem. Hayden also suggests that if electoral politics does not hold any wish for progressives, then his own efforts to produce progressive change would be rendered useless. This quote reflects Hayden's uncertainty towards electoral politics, and his uncertainty about the potential of this kind of politics to cause progressive change. It likewise reflects his dedication to progressive causes, and his desire to see significant modification in the world.