3 out of 4 Democrats are open to electing a socialist President, says poll

After getting fleeced by capitalism for decades, more Americans are warming to the idea of socialism and a socialist President. Republicans continue to maintain their distance from socialism but Democrats are opening up to the idea. A Gallup poll revealed found that 76% of Democratic voters said they would vote for a socialist while only 17% of  Republicans said they would vote for a socialist. Forty-five percent of independents said they would be okay voting for a socialist President. The numbers are significant given that two Democratic candidates—Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren—have been proposing socialist ideas to undo decades of damage caused by capitalism. Bernie Sanders is the front-runner to clinch the Democratic nomination and is a self-described democratic socialist. Elizabeth Warren is another candidate who has pushed for progressive policies. Both the candidates are for raising taxes on the rich, raising the minimum wage to $15, and introducing stronger environmental laws.

The younger generation of adults is receptive to socialism with over 50% open to embracing socialist policies. Among the older generation, 34% for Gen Xers and near 30% for baby boomers/traditionalists were open to the idea of socialism, according to the poll. Bernie Sanders tied for the first place with former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg in the Iowa caucus but steered clear of his closest rival, winning New Hampshire primary and Nevada caucuses. Sanders' progressive policies and his consistent stance on various issues over the years have endeared him to young Democrats.

At a time when private health insurance companies are making a killing, Sanders has proposed abolishing private health insurance and opting for a 'Medicare-for-all' plan. With the new generation of earners burdened with student debt, Bernie Sanders has promised to do away with student debt altogether and stated that he would fund the $1.6 trillion proposal by taxing Wall Street. Bernie Sanders’ plan will have no eligibility limitations and it is estimated that the $1.6 trillion of student loans includes undergraduate and graduate debt of close to 45 million people. Sanders is hoping to raise $2.4 trillion over the next ten years from Wall Street by introducing various taxes on the financial markets’ transaction. His legislation aims to tax stock trades at 0.5%, charge a 0.1% fee on bonds, and a 0.005% fee on derivatives. Sanders’ introduced the Wall Street speculation tax,  which he has named the Inclusive Prosperity Act. 

The Republicans and many Democratic candidates have also criticized Bernie Sanders for taking a left-leaning stance on various issues. Many have sought to label him a communist, hoping to cash in on decades of propaganda spread against communists and socialists in America. Donald Trump also called Bernie Sanders a communist but the Democratic candidate called out the President. "When Donald Trump was a private businessman in New York, he got $800 million in tax breaks and subsidies to build luxury housing. That's called corporate socialism. What democratic socialism is about is saying, 'Let's use the federal government to protect the interests of working families,'" said Sanders. The rich had no issues with socialism when the US government bailed out big banks and the economy using taxpayer money.

Barack Obama recently warned Democrats of wandering 'left' and hurting the party's chances at the Presidential elections. "Even as we push the envelope and we are bold in our vision, we also have to be rooted in reality and the fact that voters, including the Democratic voters and certainly persuadable independents or even moderate Republicans, are not driven by the same views that are reflected on certain, you know, left-leaning Twitter feeds,” said Obama. "The average American doesn’t think we have to completely tear down the system and remake it,” the former President remarked, according to The Guardian.