This is a really big part of the problem, I think. Politicians on the "left" tend to be actually just more moderate right wingers, or unable to accomplish much of anything meaningful.

It's much the same in Canada too, our Liberal party is supposed to be the mainstream "left" option but they're just doing moderate right politics with pride flags.

Then there's the NDP which actually has some leftist elements, and I'm grateful to have a meaningful 3rd party, but they've still never formed government at the federal level.

And we've ingested so much cold war propaganda that if you just say "socialist" people start getting freaked out.