Of course it’s used as an attack on the Left, the phrase is the political equivalent of calling someone “ethnic”. It’s white-male normativity by the owner class.

“Genteel” white men controlling all political power and wealth is normal politics, but other people being involved is identity politics.

If your peace of mind is based on the lie that everything is already fine, anyone disturbing your peace by reminding you it’s not fine for them is perceived as an aggressor against that peace of mind. The problem is cowardice.

Identity politics is perhaps the worst element of our politics, regardless of which side of the spectrum you subscribe to. It’s made it much, much easier to divide people and get them to oppose each other rather than focusing their ire on the real problem: the wealthy and their insatiable greed.