While we disagree with HBO’s “Real Time” host Bill Maher on many of his traditionally liberal viewpoints,  we feel compelled to heap high praise on him for intelligence and courage in — on occasion — being a vocal critic of what he calls “woke culture” and the modern progressive movement.

To that end, Maher criticized the rise of democratic socialism within the Democratic Party during his Nov. 14 television show

Specifically, Maher argued that while some socialist programs are beneficial, Democratic Socialists like Zohran Mamdani are far more radical.

“Despite Maher’s concerns, Democratic Socialists have seen recent electoral successes,” Fox News Digital noted.

During the show, Maher said, “Democrats must recognize that Zohran Mamdani is the future of the party. Unfortunately, it’s the Republican Party,” arguing that Mamdani’s victory speech will be used “in every attack ad for the next two years.”

Fox News Digital added, “While Maher noted that Mamdani ‘seems like a nice guy,’ he urged the Democrats not to get swept up in ‘socialism fever.’ He pointed to another victor in the recent elections, Virginia Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger, who argued before the 2024 presidential election, ‘If the party didn’t shift to the center, we will get torn apart.’”

To the aforementioned, Maher stated on his show, “Well, she (Spanberger) was right, but they didn’t listen. Typical, am I right, ladies? 

“Democratic socialism is like a dating profile. Things look great until you meet up in the real world.” The HBO host then pointed to Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.,  as an example. “His big thing was always bringing single-payer health care to our country of 340 million. But when liberal, tie-dyed Vermont tried to do it for a population of 626,000, it collapsed.”

As for the Democratic Socialists of America, Maher noted that its “radical economic policy is always ineluctably married to radical social policy.”

Instead of Bernie, AOC, Mamdani and the DSA’s radical trajectory, Maher — wisely — stressed that that he and other fellow sensible liberals want a “moderate” Democratic Party that leans toward the... center.