It’s hard to stay a leftist. You need to confine your circle to just people who think like you do. You have to avoid friends or acquaintances who might influence you the wrong way. You have to avoid vacations that might challenge your thought-process. You have to zero-out various radio and TV networks that could influence you to flip to another side of the spectrum. And you have to keep all this up....for decades.
In Kansas City you have ot be a leftist or you best stfu