Should Democrats Embrace The Term "Socialism" ?

The chart above is from the Gallup Poll. It was done between July 30th and August 5th of a nationwide sample of 1,505 adults, with a 3 point margin of error. Poll respondents were asked if they had a positive opinion of the terms "socialism" and "capitalism".

The following statements are from Cynthia Nixon (candidate for NY governor) at Netroots Nation, and Markos Moulitsas (founder of Daily Kos) in an interview with journalist Chuck Todd.

CYNTHIA NIXON, CANDIDATE FOR NY GOV: The establishment is terrified of that word, "SOCIALISM." But if we've learned one thing from the Obama years it is that Republicans are going to call us socialist no matter what we do, so we might as well give them the real thing!

MARKOS MOULITSAS: I don't think it is even going to be a debate point. You either embrace the label, and own it, and be a player, or you can be . . . off on the sidelines and irrelevant. 

I am a socialist, and I have been for over four decades. Nothing would make me happier than for this nation to embrace socialist ideals and ideas. But I am also a realist.

The two statements above are not realistic. I understand that they want to move this country to the left. That's a worthy goal. But you will not do that right now by having Democrats self-label as socialists. That may appeal to some people, but they are still a minority -- and campaigning as a socialist is a sure way to lose in most parts of this country.

There have been too many years of lies and propaganda from the right. It has most Americans scared of the word "socialist". They still equate it with an authoritarian type of government (even though it refers only to an economic system and not any kind of government) and a loss of rights (also not true).

Note the chart above. A small majority of Democrats (57%) and 18-29 year olds (51%) have a positive view of socialism. But that means that 43% of Democrats and 49% of young people do not have a positive view of it. And no other group has a majority with a positive view.

I'm not saying that the public doesn't want some programs that could be labeled as socialist. They like Social Security and Medicare, and want both to be protected. Most Americans would like to see all Americans with access to affordable health care, students with access to an affordable college or trade school, a minimum wage that's a livable wage, a better transportation infrastructure, a fair and progressive tax system (with corporations paying their share), an electoral system where votes are more important than money and everyone has a voice, and a growing and prosperous middle class.

Those ideas are achievable, but not until we vote the Republicans out of power. And labeling the Democratic Party as socialist will not do that. It will only scare moderate voters away and insure more years of Republican malfeasance.

It is vital to flip Congress this year, and then to put a Democrat in the White House in 2020. Only then can we proceed to accomplish what is needed -- not as socialism, but as ideas to help the people of this country to have more security, opportunity, and better lives. That will only happen if Democrats remain a "big tent" party.