Atheists will claim they are free thinkers (before the MAGA right co-opted the term). But they usually are progressives and blindly follow pretty much everything the progressive party agrees with just because they label themselves as, "progressive" and it's a feel good label. They fail to realize that no matter what happens in 5 years, society is going to ideologically progress by 5 years, but if we get a lot of right wing policies in that time, then atheists will argue that's regression. In order to regress, we need a way back machine (doesn't exist). If they are parties that the "progressive" (marketing term) supports, then they will fall for it.
Progress is inevitable, but is it going to be left or right wing progress?
Left wing advancement is progress and right wing advancement is regress to the atheist.