Progressivism is, to some degree, a manifestation of dissatisfaction with the status quo. It’s also a belief that things can be made better through better governance. Conservatism is a bit more complicated. It comes in two flavors. One flavor is fairly happy with the status quo and is chiefly concerned with conserving it. Another flavor thinks things are moving in a negative direction but can be corrected by less governance. Generally speaking, conservatives are either content with the way things are, or they want things to go back to the way they were in some non-distant past.
Every president but one in the history of this country was a white male. White males have always been able to vote (although, at first, they needed some property). White males have never suffered from discrimination (except recently, to a small degree, in competing within the affirmative action paradigm). Basically, white males have had a lot of reason to be satisfied with the status quo in this country. And, if they have any complaint, they’re only beef is that their innate advantages have been diminished by progressive changes.
So, it’s no surprise that white males are not progressive. The more insecure a white male is about his own ability to compete, or his job security, or his social status, the less progressive he is likely to be. The more he needs an advantage, the more he will cling to one. The more he needs an edge, the more he will resent losing it.
I don’t really think this is unique behavior. Any other gender or color would behave similarly in a similar situation. Still, it pays to remember that the progressive movement is not a white male movement, even if it might sometimes appear that way on your intertubes. White male progressives tend to be intellectuals who have advanced degrees from elite institutions. There’s nothing wrong with that so long as they realize who makes up the bulk of the progressive movement. And it ain’t white males.