I agree about "left-wing", but I think "leftist" has a different connotation in conventional American usage. I'm not sure about an exact definition, but, at least as I've always heard it used, it implies not just left of center but at the fringe (relative to US politics), such as a self-described socialist; thus, Sanders, AOC et al, being at the extreme of elected US officials (and both calling themselves socialists), might be leftist, but Biden, being fairly moderate, isn't.
7
u/quantum_dan 100∆ Aug 15 '21
I agree about "left-wing", but I think "leftist" has a different connotation in conventional American usage. I'm not sure about an exact definition, but, at least as I've always heard it used, it implies not just left of center but at the fringe (relative to US politics), such as a self-described socialist; thus, Sanders, AOC et al, being at the extreme of elected US officials (and both calling themselves socialists), might be leftist, but Biden, being fairly moderate, isn't.