Sanders gaining in Iowa: Is America finally ready for socialism?
As Bernie Sanders edges closer to Hillary Clinton in the Iowa polls, one thing is becoming clear: Instead of being a liability, his socialist platform may be his strongest asset.
In fact, it seems that socialism in general is embraced currently, despite its historical stigma in the United States. The new Selzer & Co. Iowa poll found that in the Feb. 1 Democratic Iowa caucuses would use the word 鈥渟ocialist鈥� to describe themselves.
The poll offered an array of political or ideological adjectives, such as 鈥減olitically correct鈥� and 鈥済un enthusiast,鈥� and asked voters to answer "yes" or "no" to as to whether the words can be used to describe themselves. The answers are predictably split down partisan lines. For instance, for 鈥済un enthusiasts,鈥� 53 percent of Republicans said "yes," compared with only 16 percent of Democrats.
Interestingly enough, 鈥渃apitalist鈥� also proved to be a partisan label. While a considerable portion of Democratic Iowa caucus-goers were eager to label themselves socialists, fewer would described themselves as capitalist 鈥� only 38 percent.
But it isn't just in Iowa that socialism is being seen as an emerging Democratic brand. The Selzer & Co. poll found that tepid but substantial support for socialism reflects a national acceptance. According to a June 2015 Gallup poll, 47 percent of surveyed voters around the country say they would vote for a socialist. Among Democrats, that figure grows to 59 percent.
In The New York Times/CBS News poll conducted November, 56 percent of Democratic primary voters nationally said as a governing philosophy, versus 29 percent who took a negative view.
While not every socialist voter supports Mr. Sanders 鈥� about a third are more likely to vote for Hillary Clinton 鈥� the majority do so. For some political experts, the . As The New Yorker鈥檚 Amy Davidson writes,
[T]he puzzle remains of how Sanders is running so strongly for a major-party nomination in the United States when he has willingly associated himself with a word 鈥� 鈥渟ocialist鈥� 鈥� that not long ago was considered disqualifying, the stuff of loyalty hearings. It may be that it was so taboo that its meaning has become obscure, or open to reinterpretation. Sanders points to Scandinavia; there is no more Warsaw Pact. According to Merriam-Webster, 鈥渟ocialism鈥� was the most looked-up term in its online dictionary in 2015. (The runner-up was 鈥渇ascism.鈥�)
But American鈥檚 subtle embrace of socialism is not a fresh trend 鈥� especially not among younger and Democratic voters. Surveys show that Democrats and other demographic groups were already warmed up to the idea of 鈥渟ocialism鈥� half a decade ago.
In a 2009 Rasmussen poll, said they believed capitalism was better than socialism. A December 2011 Pew survey found that while 60 percent of Americans viewed socialism negatively, 59 percent of liberal democrats were in support of it. And under the age of 29, regardless of political standing, viewed socialism positively. Meanwhile, the vast majority of voters ages 65 and above were not so keen on socialism 鈥� 72 percent opposed it.
Although socialist stances are garnering support from primary Democratic voters as younger generations of Americans, tolerant of socialism, come to voting age, it鈥檚 uncertain how Bernie Sanders and his remodeled 21st-century brand of socialism will fare in the general election.
