The democrat party today resembles NOTHING of say, the democrat party from JFK's day. Or Jimmy Carter's. Or even Bill Clinton's, for that matter.

JFK's day, absolutely. That was before the CRA and resulting "Southern Strategy".

But since Carter, the Dem party has swung right. The past couple of cycles have seen a few people like AOC, but most would have been considered Republicans 40 years ago. So, for example, the Clean Water Act (signed by a Republican) is now only defended by the left wing of the D party. Republicans want to scrap it (or some do). That used to be a center-right issue.

The political spectrum has moved under my feet. I voted for Reagan (second term)**. I was center right. Now I'm decidedly left of center. My views on some things have changed as I learned more about some issues, but mostly the scale moved and now I'm left.

By European standards we do not have a liberal party at all.

**And have since learned I probably shouldn't have, but I believed the rhetoric at the time, and missed a lot of the dog-whistles.