This sounds like a guy who probably thought "Yeah, of course communism/socialism/anarchism is a great idea, in theory." even when he was a 'radical'. His radicalism was not actually based in the refinement, usage and predictive properties of radical theories and practice, but simply how he felt and what politics he thought justified his feelings.

In essence, he is most Americans and a case study in the reasoning why, on the whole, material interests are greater than ideology.