That's one way of looking at it, and I can accept it if clearly defined upfront. In reality "sides" are constructions of a two-party political system though. I'm liberal on most social issues (gay rights, drug use, abortion, etc), but I'd never describe myself as leftist because I'm also a strong believer in the free market. Most American liberals aren't that far left; they may squabble with Republicans over a few percent here and there on taxes, they may want more welfare money while Republicans want more money for soldiers, and they divide themselves strongly on hot-button issues like abortion, but in the grand scheme of things, Democrats use leftist arguments just to establish a wide voter base. Many American liberals, especially those with economic power, hate actual hardcore leftists like Sanders.