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2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: But, but .. "Americans would NEVER elect a Democratic Socialist as President!!!!!" [View all]Gothmog
(145,124 posts)74. Good luck with this concept
Sanders may look competitive now but the Kochs and the RNC will bury Sanders in several hundred million dollars of negative ads using the terms "socialist" and "socialism." Neither term polls well now and these terms will be radioactive after this much in negative advertising.
From Pew http://www.pewresearch.org/daily-number/little-change-in-publics-response-to-capitalism-socialism/
The word socialism triggers a negative reaction for most Americans, but certainly not for all. Six-in-ten (60%) people say they have a negative reaction to the word, while just 31% have a positive reaction. Those numbers are little changed from April 2010....
By contrast, socialism is a far more divisive word, with wide differences of opinion along racial, generational, socioeconomic and political lines. Fully nine-in-ten conservative Republicans (90%) view socialism negatively, while nearly six-in-ten liberal Democrats (59%) react positively. Low-income Americans are twice as likely as higher-income Americans to offer a positive assessment of socialism (43% among those with incomes under $30,000, 22% among those earning $75,000 or more).
By contrast, socialism is a far more divisive word, with wide differences of opinion along racial, generational, socioeconomic and political lines. Fully nine-in-ten conservative Republicans (90%) view socialism negatively, while nearly six-in-ten liberal Democrats (59%) react positively. Low-income Americans are twice as likely as higher-income Americans to offer a positive assessment of socialism (43% among those with incomes under $30,000, 22% among those earning $75,000 or more).
From Gallop http://www.gallup.com/poll/125645/Socialism-Viewed-Positively-Americans.aspx
PRINCETON, NJ -- More than one-third of Americans (36%) have a positive image of "socialism," while 58% have a negative image. Views differ by party and ideology, with a majority of Democrats and liberals saying they have a positive view of socialism, compared to a minority of Republicans and conservatives.
....Socialism
Socialism had the lowest percentage positive rating and the highest negative rating of any term tested. Still, more than a third of Americans say they have a positive image of socialism.
Exactly how Americans define "socialism" or what exactly they think of when they hear the word is not known. The research simply measures Americans' reactions when a survey interviewer reads the word to them -- an exercise that helps shed light on connotations associated with this frequently used term.
There are significant differences in reactions to "socialism" across ideological and partisan groups:
A majority of 53% of Democrats have a positive image of socialism, compared to 17% of Republicans.
Sixty-one percent of liberals say their image of socialism is positive, compared to 39% of moderates and 20% of conservatives
....Socialism
Socialism had the lowest percentage positive rating and the highest negative rating of any term tested. Still, more than a third of Americans say they have a positive image of socialism.
Exactly how Americans define "socialism" or what exactly they think of when they hear the word is not known. The research simply measures Americans' reactions when a survey interviewer reads the word to them -- an exercise that helps shed light on connotations associated with this frequently used term.
There are significant differences in reactions to "socialism" across ideological and partisan groups:
A majority of 53% of Democrats have a positive image of socialism, compared to 17% of Republicans.
Sixty-one percent of liberals say their image of socialism is positive, compared to 39% of moderates and 20% of conservatives
The Kochs will have great deal to work with if Sanders is the nominee.
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But, but .. "Americans would NEVER elect a Democratic Socialist as President!!!!!" [View all]
99th_Monkey
Dec 2015
OP
If I was looking for a plausible excuse to entirely miss the point of the OP
99th_Monkey
Dec 2015
#4
FDR did what we both know he did, and was called a "socialist" for doing it.
99th_Monkey
Dec 2015
#9
He may have been called socialist but he was and his family were registered Democrats
FloridaBlues
Dec 2015
#58
Income and wealth disparities are similar to the late 1920s just before the Great Depression
Uncle Joe
Dec 2015
#15
FDR was not a Democratic Socialist. He never claimed to be a Democratic Socialist.
Drunken Irishman
Dec 2015
#17
It's not semantics. I don't think you understand what that word means.
Drunken Irishman
Dec 2015
#46
read about his opposition. FDR didn't have to say it. Everyone against him did
roguevalley
Dec 2015
#33
Hitler and the Nazis had "socialist" in their name. Does that make them in the sense of the word?..
cascadiance
Dec 2015
#76
You're right a "democrat" is a member of a political party. There is no comparison...
cascadiance
Dec 2015
#86
FDR can be Democrat and have SOCIALIST PHILOSOPHY just like Eisenhower arguably was socialist too!
cascadiance
Dec 2015
#92
He never called himself that, but his enemies did and his policies were exactly that.
Scuba
Dec 2015
#56
Politifact: Obama right that Roosevelt was called a socialist and a communist
99th_Monkey
Dec 2015
#34
Bernie "calling himself a Socialist" takes the issue head-on, and guess what?
99th_Monkey
Dec 2015
#39
He also strongly asserts "democratic socialist" as the term that describes himself...
cascadiance
Dec 2015
#77
Watched. Didn't hear once FDR say anything about socialism or claimed to be a Democratic Socialist.
Drunken Irishman
Dec 2015
#25
FDR made some political compromises that make Hillary Clinton's look downright puny.
Zynx
Dec 2015
#27
Have you read the actual history or watched the American Experience vids on his amazing presidency
underthematrix
Dec 2015
#57
I see...FDR was a "Democratic Socialist" because an internet graphic says so...
brooklynite
Dec 2015
#63
FDR's political foes incessantly accused him of being a Socialist, just like Obama's have. n/t
99th_Monkey
Dec 2015
#75
Oh please. I'm not even trying to "prove" FDR "called himself a Socialist".
99th_Monkey
Dec 2015
#79
Bernie Sanders is not Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and 2016 America is not 1932 America.
NuclearDem
Dec 2015
#85
Remember when Sanders made a "major policy speech" on Democratic Socialism?
brooklynite
Dec 2015
#90