Nearly 1 in 3 Americans would vote for a democratic socialist: Poll

[RandySF]

A little under 1 in 3 Americans say they would be willing to back a democratic socialist in an election, according to a new poll.

In The Economist/YouGov poll, 29 percent of respondents said they would be willing to cast their ballot for a democratic socialist, 45 percent said they wouldn’t and 26 percent were unsure.

The poll comes amid recent democratic socialist victories in New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Colorado. The movement has recently seen a rise in prominence, especially since the election of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) last year.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) ushered in the modern democratic socialist movement with his 2016 presidential campaign, which eventually led to the election of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) a few years later. Both lawmakers are two of the most well-known democratic socialists in American politics.


https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5952147-poll-democratic-socialist-support/

[31j20b3]

1. If Dem Socialists can stay in the news that will surely grow

Especially if the news is about spreading electoral success.

Watch for more claims of communism and hyperbolism from the neo John Birchers

[Fiendish Thingy]

2. Encouraging, and yet...

29% isn’t nearly enough to win a nationwide presidential election.

It would be interesting to see polling on a state by state basis.

[Martin Eden]

3. Most Americans don't understand what "Democratic Socialism" means

Decades of righting propaganda has made it synonymous with communism and marxism in the minds of voters.

Advanced democracies in Western Europe have versions of demicratic socialism, and their quality of life is much better than ours. Private enterprise still thrives, but it is well regulated.

[WinningAgain]

4. 30% won't be enough to win.

[Boo1]

6. Particularly when that 29%

Is likely clustered in NY, IL, and CA.

[harumph]

5. They should've call themselves "social democrats" for starters.

I doubt (most) are actually socialists - whether they realize it or not. Yes, I think people are THAT stupid and THAT tone deaf to messaging. Why Democrats can't have a unifying message I'll never know. It doesn't matter how idealistic your platform is if you can't win and thus obtain power. It's like we've reached a critical mass of dumb. I look around me and most people have no clue as to the power grab that is happening with the Republicans being the bag men for the oligarchs (Musk, Bezos, Ellison, Thiel and Zuckerberg et al.) and we can't stick to the basic messaging that works. Watch the Cohen Bros. "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" for a cynical lesson in political messaging. Being a g-damned hermit is looking better and better.

[Boo1]

7. They should have called themselves populists

The DS label will nake them be self limiting.