Republicans Make Socialism Appealing
Republicans love throwing labels around, especially ones they can’t accurately define or understand. Tea bagging is just their latest word gaffe, but socialism is the one that promises to cause them the most trouble. For months they’ve been screaming Obama is a socialist, and where has that gotten them? Well, given the fact that most people approve of Obama, it’s breathed new life into a word that had been ignored for decades. In essence, Republicans are the ones responsible for socialism’s new and improved poll numbers.
Only 53% of American adults believe capitalism is better than socialism.
That’s a pretty amazing number. It becomes even more amazing when you look at the under 30 crowd.
Adults under 30 are essentially evenly divided: 37% prefer capitalism, 33% socialism, and 30% are undecided.
On some levels this generational divide is easy to understand. Those under 30 are facing obstacles their elder counterparts didn’t encounter. They are graduating college under a mountain of debt, are unable to find jobs, are no longer covered by their parents’ health insurance (and, yet, are forced, in many cases, to move back in with Mom and Dad), and are contemplating not only not being able to afford a home, but also being concerned with affording retirement. Is it any wonder this demographic doesn’t view socialism as evil?
Truth is, no one should view socialism as evil. Enter the Republicans, who have inadvertently (because I can’t believed they planned this) made socialism appealing. There are several reasons for this beyond the point I’ve made above. First, nobody believes Republicans anymore. They have lost credibilty, and even those citizens not entirely certain about Obama policies aren’t looking to Republicans for solutions. Which is a good thing, since the GOP doesn’t have any. Second, Republicans must find a new way to shape an argument that doesn’t include the phrase good and evil. Besides being ridiculously dishonest, it forces people to take sides on an issue they probably wouldn’t have considered had it not been shoved down their throats. The good and evil choice runs parallel to the guilty and not guilty verdict. And this is where reasonable doubt comes into play. Can a person who wants affordable healthcare view socialism as evil? Probably not, which might explain why the demonization of socialism isn’t working.
Actually, the only thing the demonization of socialism is working for is socialism… and all the credit for that goes to Republicans.
Tags: Republicans, socialism
Well spoken, Pandora!
It’s called the politics of polarization and fear, which makes use of certain buzzwords, like “socialism”, and “evil”, to scare people, as per Repub pioneers like Lee Atwater and Karl Rove, followed like lemmings by today’s GOP.
Their power has evaporated, but they still don’t know it, as they have not changed, only worsened.
You are so right, Pandora, their mantra still is not working, especially with the younger folks.
If Obama and the Dems were socialists, they would have long ago nationalized the banks as a start, and would be working on nationalizing other means of production and service.
In truth, Obama is far from being a socialist. I would classify him as a centrist who has committed himself not only to reinvigorate free enterprise capitalism, but to address and control their excesses that have led us into our current economic crisis.
For now, it looks like the policy debates will occur with the Dems in Congress, because the Repubs have pretty much opted out!
True enough, Perry. My point is that Republicans – through all their screaming – have made socialism appealing. They are the ones responsible for results of this poll – which, btw, doesn’t really prove anyone actually knows what socialism is. What it does show is that a lot of Americans no longer view socialism as a bad thing.
Which, given all the attention the GOP has placed on the term, equals an epic fail. I say that because it’s only the Republicans invoking and defining the word.
Good point, and I agree.
Their meaningless buzzword approach is finally failing the GOP, because their present audience, a tense and struggling American populace, no longer responds to them. On the contrary, the polls show a strong response to Obama, who uses the simple tactic of explaining, which he did very well yesterday at Georgetown.
It seems that the GOP is afraid to change in spite of the obvious need for it.
Instead, they gamble that their buzzword approach, together with No, No, No, will work for them in 2010. Party over country, that’s what it is. It will not work, even if the outcomes of the Obama policies have left some holes by then.
Not knowing what “socialism” means, and considering the fact that no white Democratic President has ever been accused of being a “socialist” has led some to concluded that the conservatives are simply using it as an epithet in place the N word.
Jason is soooooo correct. The venom in which the Right/GOP uses the word ‘socialism’ is no different than any racial slur commonly used by its supporters.
Obama’s a socialist!
Why is that? Didn’t he just bail out all the big banks, etc, and gave up the chance of nationalizing them in the process?
No! He’s taking money from the rich and giving it to the lazy socialists who hate this country!
Ah, I see…you just want to call Obama a ni**er but are too afraid to do it. It’s all clear now.
If Republicans really mean what they say about the evils of socialism, then they need to make the following part of their platform:
abolish Social Security
abolish Medicare
abolish the VA medical system
all of these are socialism in action. Most Americans will look at you like you are crazy if you tell them that, but it is the stone cold truth. We have socialism in America, not much of it but it is there.
And we like it, so long as you don’t tell us what it really is…