Go back several decades, say to the 1960s, and you find that the American Left was all for the First Amendment. They were purists and Justice Douglas was their hero.
How their tune has changed.
Now they’re all in favor of whittling down the First Amendment to suit them. It’s impossible not to believe that the reason is that since they hold power, they wish to control what is said and written to help them keep it.
The odious McCain-Feingold law is their main beach head into First Amendment territory and lefties are worried that the Supreme Court might extinguish it when it rules on the Hillary: The Movie case. Suddenly precedent has become sacred!
Ed Cline has a superb essay on this dispute. I recommend it highly.