New polling from CBS News finds that more than half of Democrats have a favorable view of socialism, especially among Democrats with a college degree.
As Victor Davis Hanson and many others have pointed out, the rise of Democratic Socialism is directly linked to education, particularly higher education.
From CBS News:
CBS News poll on whether Democrats split over socialism, and how Americans see parties in today’s economy
Most Americans believe a free market system is a good thing.
Americans are net-negative on socialism. Capitalism is better-liked.
But those ideas aside, right now they say it’s harder now to do things like buy a house, raise a family, and to just feel financially secure than for the last generation. Younger people are especially apt to feel opportunities are fewer.
So most also call the current U.S. economic system unfair, in terms of the way it works for chances to get ahead.
That has downstream effects on politics, including those seen in this year’s Democratic primary battles:
The Democratic rank-and-file does have a higher view of socialism than capitalism.
It’s all set against a years-long backdrop of Americans’ bad ratings of the economy, and appears to have many questioning the broader system – or at least eyeing solutions unconstrained by the usual ideologies…
How these views are getting expressed in the parties
Unlike the public overall, Democrats are mostly positive on socialism and have a more favorable impression of it than of capitalism.
Socialism finds more positive views among Democrats with college degrees than those without. They’re even more likely to perceive a gap between the richest and the middle class. And less likely to say the Democratic Party is “effective.”
Younger Democrats more than older ones, and White Democrats more than other racial groups tend to have more favorable views of socialism.
In particular, Democrats feel socialism would make their own finances better and that on balance, capitalism makes them worse.
Pay close attention to that last part. Why would these people think that socialism would make their finances better? Because these idiots believe that ‘taxing the rich’ is going to transfer other people’s wealth to them. It won’t, of course. The government will easily find new ways to waste increased revenue.
The poll found that overall, capitalism is still more popular.
A CBS News poll found most Americans “have a more positive view of capitalism than they do of socialism,” CBS News’ Executive Director of Elections and Surveys @SalvantoCBS reports.
“There’s always been these discussions of socialism, but they do tend to come out in tougher… pic.twitter.com/oX2zQADOS5
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) August 16, 2026
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear was asked about this poll on Face the Nation. While he is not pro-socialism, his answer makes me think he is running in 2028. Watch:
A new @CBSNewsPoll finds 58% of Democrats have a positive view of socialism, and just 32% have a positive view of capitalism.
“I believe socialism is a failed experiment but I do believe that we need to get results for the American people,” Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) says. pic.twitter.com/5i5jb5dmpQ
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) August 16, 2026
Finally, I’d like you to watch this video, which was included in a story from the then taxpayer-funded NPR back in 2009. It’s called ‘Learn to Speak Tea Bag’ and it was meant to mock the rise of the Tea Party. It goes out of its way to mock fears about the rise of socialism.
We keep reliving this pattern.
Step 1: It’s not really happening
Step 2: Yeah, it’s happening, but it’s not a big deal
Step 3: It’s a good thing, actually
Step 4: People freaking out about it are the real problem
— Rob Henderson (@robkhenderson) June 14, 2021
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.