Well that wasn't really true, back when I was in College in the 1990's - and the Democrats have moved consistently to the right ever since. It's like American politics has a Ratcheting system - that only moves towards the right. Back then Clinton was taking the "third way" and splitting the difference, adopting Republican issues like "Welfare Reform"... Meanwhile as Bill moved to follow the Republicans - they ran hard for the far right, to the point where Steve King, and Donald Trump could fit in easily.
The Democrats are the Center-right and the Republicans are the Right to Far Right. America has two rightist parties. And Obama wasn't lying when he said that his policies were those of a Moderate Republican, in Reagan's time. https://covertactionmagazine.com/2021/10/01/a-company-family-the-untold-history-of-obama-and-the-cia/ - and he's a cousin to Dick Cheney, as well.
$hillary/Killary Clinton - a GOLDWATER GIRL. She's been a Spook infiltrating the Democrats since the 1970's - much like her husband. https://covertactionmagazine.com/2022/01/03/there-is-absolutely-no-reason-in-the-world-to-believe-that-bill-clinton-is-a-cia-asset-except-for-all-the-evidence/ - Bill Clinton has been a Bush Intelligence asset, since the 1970's at a minimum. And for the record - Trump looks to have been acting as an asset of $hillary's, at least during the 2008 campaign - when he was pushing the "Birther" stuff, that was too racist and gross, for her to be caught saying, herself. But she was happy yo hear Trump saying it - and some of her surrogates joined in. Notice that all of them were invited to the GHWBush41 funeral - and all got a letter with instructions, and perhaps a new handler.
Part of what it seems like you're missing - is the element of KAYFABE. What became "Obamacare" was proposed by the Heritage Foundation. Are they Center-Left, too? Because Sanders offered a real left solution - Single Payer... Not "Medicare for All" - that's guaranteed to be intrusive and problematic. But they could treat it just like the Pentagon - where Congress just cuts the checks - and doesn't ask any questions. Your Doctor sends them a Bill, amd they Government pays it - "cost plus". Regardless of the final shape - $hilly and Joe both told you - no healthcare for you. Even "Medicare for All" is too extreme.
And Republicans are okay with any expense - so long as it builds weapons and the Empire. Cops and prisons forever - money's no object. And Corporate Welfare they tolerate.