I think most people feel this way, right? Like you are left-leaning if you like the policies in left-wing platforms put forth by left-wing parties, so you vote for the left-wing candidates who advocate for them. Likewise, candidates are left-wing because they are members of such parties and advocate for such policies. So saying ‘I only vote for people on the basis of their policies and voting record’ is like saying ‘I only drink water when it’s wet’—technically true, but it misses the point that you chose it because it was wet.
I think most people feel this way, right? Like you are left-leaning if you like the policies in left-wing platforms put forth by left-wing parties, so you vote for the left-wing candidates who advocate for them. Likewise, candidates are left-wing because they are members of such parties and advocate for such policies. So saying ‘I only vote for people on the basis of their policies and voting record’ is like saying ‘I only drink water when it’s wet’—technically true, but it misses the point that you chose it because it was wet.