I am shocked, I say. Shocked! Well, not that shocked.

Centrist "both sides" is the most milquetoast, bad faith shit possible.
Leftist "both sides" is about how at the end of the day, politicians want to look strong for being re-elected. And they is often keeping themselves and their cronies in power by any means necessary. From rigging elections and primaries, to underfunding government programs that enable higher levels of thinking, to even international assassinations.
- I don't think a politician is left wing, when they value personal power, over the wellbeing of the people.

It’s because most people don’t like right wingers, and they know it, so they try to hide behind that.
- Oh yeah. I know/knew several NY Republicans who are all “fiscally conservative and socially liberal” people, who only vote on economic policy.
  
  Oh yeah, the “I act like I’m smarter than everyone but I’m actually a fucking idiot who’s never actually read a book on economics and gets all his info from uncited YouTube videos, also I’m going to be super condescending about it” type of guy. Those guys are the worst.
  
  and how's that working out for them this time around?
  
  Liberal is still right wing.
- most people don’t like right wingers
  Most people don't like retail politics, generally speaking. It's alienating and inaccessible. It feels like you're getting in on the ground floor of an MLM with no practical way to rise through the ranks. And it forces you to support people far better at talking rich people out of their donor dollars than votes out of the neighborhood. They're folks you'll find smug, shitty, and morally repulsive if you ever have to share a room with them.
  The degree of cynicism people feel blunts any kind of revolutionary rhetoric. Meanwhile, their fear of things getting worse leaves them suspicious of any kind of advertised sweeping change. So you end up with bland, toothless centrism as a default position that meets the low expectations voters have cultivated.

"Hello, I'm a Republican Consultant/Former-Politician and I'm here to offer the Democrats some friendly campaign advise. Have you tried just agreeing with us on everything? Perhaps even going out to the right of us, so you look even more conservative with your rhetoric than you did on paper? And try appealing more to white people - straight middle-aged men in particular? More! More! You're doing great! You're going to win in a landslide!"
One Vote Later
Democrats Shed Massive Numbers of Women and Minorities, In Historic Underperformance on Election Day

2016: "If you don't vote for the rich neoliberal canidate then you are a Republican who hates democracy"
Loses
2024: "If you don't vote for the rich neoliberal canidate then you are a Republican who hates democracy"
Loses
2028: "If you don't vote for the rich neoliberal canidate then you are a Republican who hates democracy"
I wonder what will happen this time...

Right winger: "Well if you weren't so mean to me, I wouldn't support people that want to turn women into property, make queer people's existence illegal, marry children and send them to work in the mines and hire white social media influencers over brown people with qualifications.
See? I'm actually a good person. But mean words are so much more unforgivable than rampant bigotry and hatred. So you forced me to side with the rampant bigots that hate everyone who isn't a white straight christian male. It's YOUR fault!
Also, these librul snowflakes have such thin skins."

I mean that is going to happen when the left responds to someone who is almost entirely left, but holds one "right wing" opinion so you call them a Nazi and lump them in with the right when we both dam well know they really aren't.
I'm talking someone who agrees with the left on everything except one thing like they are pro-life or against trans women in women's sports or something. Even though they agree with the left on everything else you guys will unilaterally reject them for their one different stance.
Ive seen it happen multiple times online and many time personally in my own life with friends and family.
There are people who hold stances from both sides and they are capable understanding both sides perspectives, but they are not even allowed near the left and that's a real problem. If you aren't willing to even talk to people that are in the middle how on earth can you expect people to come to your side or change?
- You aren't in the middle if you are a misogynist who doesn't agree trans women are women, and don't believe in women's right to choose. You're on the right.
  
  See this is exactly what I'm fuckin talking about. You can't even see the problem with your line of thinking.
  This hypothetical person was going to vote with you 9 times out of 10 and you're rejecting them because they share one different stance. Do you not see how this might be a fucking problem come voting time? You tell that person they are actually on the right and they don't deserve to be around you or your party why the fuck would they vote with you?