Power vs Purity: The Difference Between the Left and Right

Over the past few decades in Western democracies, the right often comes together behind one leader, while the left tends to split apart. The right focuses on gaining power, while the left looks for the perfect candidate. In the end, power is more achievable.

Take the United States as an example. When Donald Trump announced his run in 2015, few thought he would become president. The Republican Party was still finding its footing after the Bush years and Obama's 2008 win, and there were seventeen candidates in the race, which was a record at the time. As the field narrowed, Trump won the nomination with 44% of the vote, almost twice as much as Ted Cruz. Even though his campaign was chaotic, the party still came together to support him.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz famously not endorsing Donald Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention

That year, a power vacuum emerged on the left when Joe Biden did not run after his son Beau’s death. Instead, the field broke between establishment Hillary Clinton and insurgent Bernie Sanders. Although Clinton won, her campaign suffered from Republican attacks and persistent left-wing dissent.  Afterward, 10% of Sanders' supporters voted for Trump, and another 12% voted third-party, helping Trump win. By contrast, just 4-8% of Republican primary voters supported Clinton. The left’s perfect candidate never appeared; the right accepted Trump’s flaws to secure an electoral victory.

A similar phenomenon occurred in 2024 when large portions of the left protested Biden’s action, or inaction, in Gaza.  Chants of “Genocide Joe” followed Biden on college campuses, and protestors continued after the baton had been hurriedly passed to Harris.  In fact, Harris continues to be shouted down during her book tour, even though she’s no longer an elected official.  Thanks in part to pushback on Palestine, Trump was reelected and months into his term posted an AI video promoting the rebuilding of Gaza with a Trump resort.  Trump also gets the “win” of the hostage release, even though it was negotiated by the Biden Administration, meaning Trump is getting Biden’s accolades while dodging the blowback Biden received, thanks in large part to Trump’s negotiated withdrawal from Afghanistan in the Doha agreement.

The Signing of the Doha Agreement on February 29, 2020

Politics is unfair. Yesterday’s Never Trumpers now cheer him on. In a divided system, criticizing your own side hands victory to opponents. Republicans have learned this, prioritizing office over ideology. Purity tests create ideal parties, but if everyone who strays is cast out, they never govern.

Next, we turn to the slow-motion car crash that is British Politics.  Keir Starmer led the Labour Party to one of its largest wins in its history last year, which provided some glimmers of hope that the populist wave that had swept Western politics over the past decade was subsiding.  But, after the dust had settled, it was clear it was more of a right-wing implosion rather than a left-wing explosion.  The Conservative Party returned its worst results in modern history thanks to splitting their vote with the insurgent Reform party, which provided dozens, if not hundreds, of Labour wins thanks to the first past the post system. While Labour did win against the backdrop of Gaza, there were signs the issue was becoming more and more salient within the British left after Starmer had moved into No. 10.

To be fair to Starmer (and this is where some of my bias will come through), he was placed in an impossible position.  Assuming the reins of government after 15 years in opposition is no easy feat, and the British state is quite poor after a decade of poor economic policy, next to no growth, and all this is set against Brexit, so the UK as an independent economy has few places to turn to quickly right the ship of state.  The Southport Stabbing occurred less than a month after the election and quickly flared into a right-wing cause célèbres around immigration and freedom of speech.  Starmer failed to manage the events, my dear boy, and has consistently shown the political instincts of a parsnip.  During this chaos, Reform (led by the UK’s Trump, Nigel Farage) has surged in the polls.  It’s hard to say if this surge is thanks to Farage or thanks to the anemic leadership of the Conservatives under Kemi Badenoch.  Regardless of why, the right is again coalescing around a central figure.

Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch at the party conference this month

And the left?  They continue to turn the guns on themselves and have largely abandoned Labour at this point.  Former Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn has at least attempted to launch a new left-wing party; however, there have already been several PR disasters, and it remains to be seen how much traction it will get, as it was built around independent MPs who largely ran on Palestine.  If that conflict cools, they may lose their unifying policy and descend into smaller and smaller factions.  The Greens are seeing a surge thanks to their new leader, Zack Polanski, and what he calls “eco-populism,” which has a large economic component.  This speaks to voters who may be disengaged from other international concerns.

There are still years until the next election; however, Starmer really only has a few months until the local elections in the spring to turn things around. Otherwise, the Labour Party might choose a different direction.

On both sides of the Atlantic, the political right is willing to say or do anything to be in power, even if it goes against last week’s policy.  Meanwhile, large swaths of the left are not willing to compromise on any singular issue and keep holding out for the perfect candidate. The left needs to realize that a knight in shining armor does not exist.  There are no perfect politicians.  Progress requires power, not just protest.

If the right seeks power, the left pursues perfection. Power is far more realistic.