Record Number of Americans Identify as Social Liberals. Good News for Bernie Sanders

[sabrina 1]

People have wondered if Bernie's long use of the word 'Socialist' would hamper his Presidential aspirations.

Apparently not as the public appears to be more educated about the difference between the word 'Socialist' and Communist', a connection deliberately made by those on the Right in an effort to scare voters.

In this latest poll the words Social Liberal were used and didn't seem to scare anyone:

A Record Percentage Of Americans Now Say They're Social Liberals

For the first time in at least 16 years, Americans are equally likely to describe themselves as socially liberal as they are to say they're social conservatives, a new Gallup poll finds.

Thirty-one percent of Americans say they're liberal on social issues, with another 31 percent calling themselves conservatives and the rest identifying as moderates.

In 1999, when Gallup first began tracking questions on ideology, Americans were 18 points more likely to describe themselves as social conservatives. Since then, the gap has narrowed, with the exception of a spike in conservatism at the beginning of President Barack Obama's first term.

There are most likely several reasons for this most likely. One, imo, people have far more access to information now. And two, after decades of neo-Liberal policies, not just here but across the Globe, people are more aware than ever of the devastation those policies have created.

You can see the changes sweeping the formerly neo-Liberal controlled EU as first Greece, now several other nations, Spain, Portugal, Ireland are showing signs of ditching those policies that have effectively destroyed their nations, economically and in every other way.

Seems the timing is right now for a Social Democratic Candidate to take the stage on our political landscape.

[eloydude]

1. The Cold War is over.

Socialism is not a bad word.

Democratic Socialist is even better. They combine the two beautiful words and make them stronger.

[sabrina 1]

2. Nice way of putting it. The old cold warriors are finally losing that attempt at message control.

I wondered why it was still around considering what ancient history it is and how many people today have no idea what they are talking about.

[Cali_Democrat]

3. Good news for Hillary too and any dem candidate who is socially liberal. nt

[fredamae]

4. Incentivising News!

Progress.
Keep moving Forward!

[wyldwolf]

5. good thing Hillary is a social liberal

[workinclasszero]

6. Yup this is great news for Hillary! /nt

[Katashi_itto]

15. Lol.

[sabrina 1]

17. Good to hear she won't be supporting Monsanto or forever war, of the NSA or any of those

other not so socially liberal policies, like the privatization of public funds, college loans etc. Trading away American jobs in secret trade agreements etc. I really have no idea where she stands on many of these issues. I KNOW where Bernie stands so it makes the choice of who to support at this point, easy.

I hope she reverses her record on many of the issues that made it necessary for someone like Sanders to run in this race.

But frankly what people say in campaigns, especially when their record contradicts campaign promises, isn't very important anymore.

[OilemFirchen]

19. You started a thread on social liberalism...

and critique Clinton for everything but?

How craven.

[sabrina 1]

21. The word 'socialist' means more than the support of civil rights for all human beings. THAT is

a position all Democrats, even people like Baucus and all of our Third Way/Blue Dogs obviously take or they would not be able to use the word Democrat as a party identifier.

Economics is part of being a Social Liberal/Democrat. Wall St and Big Corporations are not known for their Socialist views, quite the contrary actually.

[OilemFirchen]

23. Your OP is about Social Liberals.

Now you're yammering on about Socialism. I'm not the first on this thread to attempt to help you make that distinction. There's a reason for that.

And no, economics is not a "part of being a Social Liberal". That's why we can say that people are socially liberal and fiscally conservative.

Mea culpas are good for the soul. I've done tons right here at the DU. You should give one a shot.

[sabrina 1]

25. 'yammering' really? Is this how you plan to GOTV for your candidate, I hope not.

The point I made and you missed is that the very word 'Socialist' used to be used to try to scare voters from supporting some very good candidates.

Clearly the old Cold Warriors are no longer able to use that tactic, or anyone else.

Just seeing the word used to raise red flags, now it doesn't thanks to the fact that people are a lot more educated about what the word actually means at this point in time.

Now yammer away all you want, the post is more for others who are interested in substance rather than negativity.

[AtomicKitten]

7. Bernie being fiscally progressive is what sets him apart.

http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/7-things-people-who-say-theyre-fiscally-conservative-socially-liberal-dont?akid=13127.319429.Klaw85&rd=1&src=newsletter1036718&t=1

Hillary is fiscally conservative. Read the above linked article regarding that Trojan horse.

Link poached from TM99.

[eloydude]

11. You have no arguments from me that Clinton is socially liberal

But it's the fiscal part that sets us apart.

I am for Bernie, and his ideas are progressive that I would like to see it work.

[AtomicKitten]

12. Exactly.

Cheers.

[aspirant]

8. The progressive progression;

Social Liberal + Social Justice + Social Equality + Social Security = Socialist

Do we now have 2 Socialist Primary Candidates (Bernie and HRC)?

[NuclearDem]

9. The last word I would use to describe Clinton is socialist.

[aspirant]

13. If she is a social liberal

why doesn't my addition equation apply?

Social = society and society encompasses all avenues.

Labeling her a socialist(social liberal) too, as she proposes, will negate the label altogether and/or force her to specifically distinguish her social beliefs from Bernie

[NuclearDem]

10. Wait, I'm confused.

Do you actually think "social liberal" applies to economics and is a counterpoint to neo-liberal?

Because that's what this reads like, and it's dead wrong. A social liberal is one who is liberal on social issues.

[sabrina 1]

26. Clearly you missed the point completely. The word 'socialist' regardless of what it means or how

it is used is no longer viewed as something that can harm a candidate. As the MSM have tried to imply re Bernie. They of course are from another long ago era, still fighting the Cold War.

The country has moved beyond being scared by them or their attempt to turn the word into an epithet.

[NuclearDem]

30. Social issues have nothing to do with socialism.

If you had put up the study that showed millennials embracing socialism, your point would stand. As it is, it makes no sense; being liberal on social issues does not in any way make one a socialist.

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. You do realise that 'social issues' are not the defining characteristic of socialism, don't you?

Neo-liberals are liberal on social issues too.

Meanwhile, on 'economic issues':

[sabrina 1]

27. That wasn't the point. In this country for decades the very word 'socialism' or 'socialist'

regardless of its actual meaning, most Americans associated the word with Communism, as in the Soviet Union.

So a poll where the word was even used, shows how the country has moved forward from those ignorant old days.

And since Sanders refers to himself as a Democratic Socialist, naturally our Corporate Media starts every interview reading from their memos no doubt, asking him if he thinks that using the word 'socialist' will harm his campaign.

Clearly it will not. Now apparently people don't see 'red' when they hear the word 'social/liberal/democrat or anything else.

[muriel_volestrangler]

29. The point is that the poll did not use the words 'socialist' or 'socialism'

It asked about 'social issues'; and it also asked about 'economic issues'. Everyone else, whether Sanders or Clinton supporters, or the people answering the poll, understood what the phrases mean; it's only you who seems to think that since 'socialist' contains the word 'social', this is 'good news for Bernie'.

You might as well say "they answered 'liberal'; that's good news for neo-liberals".

[sadoldgirl]

16. Social liberals are also found

among many libertarians, and their number seems to grow
as well. The question is do voters understand what
democratic socialism is ( not socially liberals ), and , if
they do, would they support it? This is the point that
Bernie has to use as a teachable moment in our time.

[sabrina 1]

18. Yes, but it appears that voters are not running away from just the word itself anymore.

Which hopefully makes it easier for Bernie to say to the next moron from the Corporate media who asks him 'but do you think voters will support someone who is a Socialist', 'well the voters have already answered that question Wolf, so I'm not worried about it, nor should you be'.

[OilemFirchen]

20. They also support Social Security.

Socialize.
Go to socials.
Live in a society.

So what?

[sabrina 1]

22. Do they support Chained CPI, or buy into the lie that SS had anything to do with the deficit?

I know where Bernie stands on all these issues. He called the Chained CPI one of the most 'immoral' disasters to try to inflict on the least among us.

A Democrat put that Orwellian named attempt to cut SS 'on the deficit table'.

A Social Democrat led the calls to take it off that table and called the LIE that SS had something to do with the Deficit what it was/is, a LIE.

Look, people can support whoever they want obviously, I'm fine with that. But I am no longer willing to support anyone who was not there with us when we tried to stop Bush's disastrous invasions, to stop torture, to stop cuts to SS, to demand acountability for War Criminals and Wall St Criminals. When we try to END the Patriot Act, stop the TPP among so many, many other issues.

They want to cater to their corporate donors, fine, but don't expect or believe you earned the votes of those who are harmed by those very same donors when they push their legislation with help from those they donate to, into law.

I want someone who was with us on all those issues, and have found such a person. That is I will support because he supported us.

[OilemFirchen]

24. G'Night Gracie!

[sabrina 1]

28. Clearly you are not ready to talk about issues. Your choice.

[Renew Deal]

33. I'm not sure this poll proves that.

It didn't ask about socialism. "Socialist" has it's own perception.

[woo me with science]

31. K&R

[Renew Deal]

32. This is good for Democrats in general

I'm not sure it helps Sanders much because the differences with him are mostly on economic policy, not social policy. Also his "socialist" label is on economic policy.