OK, so Rep. Spencer Bachus, an Alabama Republican, told a Birmingham paper that there were 17 socialists in Congress. Of course, Newsweek has proclaimed "We're All Socialists Now." And a new Rasmussen poll found that just 53 percent of Americans thought "capitalism" was better than "socialism." I dunno, maybe the s-word isn't so negative an epithet anymore here in America. Liberal blogger Matthew Yglesias thanks Obama for that:
I think it reflects the fact that on a basic level “socialism” is good branding. The whole idea is that we should put society first rather than capital, or money. That sounds good! But in the United States we never had a Socialist Party so “socialism” was primarily associated with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics which was not at all good. But to people under 30, there’s less of that old resonance. And saying that Obama, who’s popular, is a “socialist” may simply tend to make people have warmer feelings toward the word “socialism.”
Misti Wells of AL @ Jul 16, 2009 23:57:54 PM
Bearster of NY @ Apr 13, 2009 21:41:38 PM
Will Mosley of GA @ Apr 13, 2009 00:40:00 AM