Debates about “real socialism” are obscure pursuits of the intelligentsia, not persuasive programs that attract support and build sustainable coalitions by fixing the problems created by capitalism, with the goal of replacing it.

This is not a good argument. If you want to actually replace capitalism (and not just have Your Guys win elections for the sake of social democracy) you do need to understand what is and isn't socialism.

But now people are already using this shit to defend entryism, tailism, etc. as though that's really what was lacking here.