Majority in new poll says they would not vote for socialist: Gallup

[highplainsdem]

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/482469-majority-in-new-poll-says-they-would-not-vote-for-socialist-gallup

A majority of Americans surveyed in a new poll said they would not vote for a socialist candidate for president, with the most opposition coming from Republican voters.

Asked whether they would vote for their party nominee who was a “generally well-qualified person for president who happened to be socialist,” just 45 percent said yes and 53 percent said no, according to the Gallup poll released Tuesday.

The acceptance for a socialist nominee, is 2 percentage points lower in the recent poll than when Gallup asked the same question in June 2015.

Democrats are much more likely to say they would vote for a socialist, based on the new poll. Gallup found that 76 percent of Democrats said they would vote for a socialist, whereas just 17 percent of Republicans and 45 percent of independents said the same.

-snip-

Link to the Gallup article:

https://news.gallup.com/poll/285563/socialism-atheism-political-liabilities.aspx


Excerpt:

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- More than nine in 10 Americans say they would vote for a presidential candidate nominated by their party who happened to be black, Catholic, Hispanic, Jewish or a woman. Such willingness drops to eight in 10 for candidates who are evangelical Christians or are gays or lesbians. Between six and seven in 10 would vote for someone who is under 40 years of age, over 70, a Muslim or an atheist.

Just one group tested -- socialists -- receives majority opposition. Less than half of Americans, 45%, say they would vote for a socialist for president, while 53% say they would not.

-snip-

[texasfiddler]

1. That is why we lose in 2020 with Sanders

[mysteryowl]

25. Progressives are more popular than you think:

Newsweek new national poll 2/11/2020:

Bernie Sanders Overtakes Joe Biden for First Time in National 2020 Poll
https://www.newsweek.com/bernie-sanders-poll-2020-biden-bloomberg-buttigieg-1486706

[samnsara]

27. with other progressives...but that philosophy cant get the trumpers we need to vote our side..

[mysteryowl]

31. I know we are all scared and will "vote blue no matter who",

so I will add that I have seen polls showing Bernie polls over Trump every time.

[Demsrule86]

49. That is why we have so many state governments and the Senate right? That is why it took 39

moderates to flip GOP seats and win back the house? There is no evidence that a person who runs left can win.

[MH1]

57. Yeah, the over 70 isn't great either. And not 100% overlap -

some of the "no to a socialist" are probably not also in the "no to over 70".

So Sanders gets squashed.

Hate to say it but while it's not as bad, it's not great for Biden either.

Warren is over 70 too but not as much.

[democratisphere]

2. The socialist/socialism ramp is just ahead.

Please get off so Democrats don't crash and burn in 2020.

[Lucky Luciano]

17. Biden will be tarred with the Marxist socialist label just like Obama.

[democratisphere]

21. Baloney. That will never stick.

[samnsara]

29. malarkey!

[denem]

35. +1

for once, that is exactly the right word

[cannabis_flower]

32. And..

Obama won two terms. I have to say AGAIN that whoever the Democrats nominate is going to be called a socialist.

[squirecam]

43. There is a difference between being called one

And actually being one.

[highplainsdem]

45. +1,000,000

[Cha]

48. Touche'!

[Fresh_Start]

54. and then were able to deny it...not so Bernie nt

nt

[gollygee]

44. It didn't work with Obama and it would't work with Biden

It will work with Sanders for sure as there are videos in the world of him calling himself a socialist. Maybe Elizabeth Warren? Not sure. The rest I think should be ok.

I really like Elizabeth Warren and I think she can probably beat Trump. The only candidate I think absolutely can't is Sanders.

[brush]

3. Not a surprise. Let's stop fooling ourselves.

[DownriverDem]

7. Tell that

to Bernie supporters who are politically naive. They need to take a look at George McGovern.

[Zolorp]

9. And McGovern wasn't even Socialist

Let alone put his name on the ballot as an elector for the Socialist Workers Party presidential candidate, a party which referred to itself in its literature as "Communist".

[brush]

14. Agreed 100%. Once Iowa and NH are over and on to more diverse primaries Sanders' polling will fall.

[TwilightZone]

4. Apropos of nothing, 45/53 is almost exactly Trump's current average approval/disapproval rating.

"The acceptance for a socialist nominee is 2 percentage points lower in the recent poll than when Gallup asked the same question in June 2015."

Kind of interesting that five years of Bernie really hasn't changed anything either way.

[Tiggeroshii]

24. +10,000

[JudyM]

39. +1. We're not getting their votes anyway.

[Zolorp]

5. Why be stupid and risk it all on a 78 year old heart patient who has called himself Socialist

It's insane to nominate him when the word "Socialist"will ripple his candidacy in a General election.

[Sloumeau]

6. highplainsdem, thanks for posting this.

This has been what we moderates have been saying for 8 months now. A socialist will not make it to the White House in 2020. Way too many Democrats have not been listening.

[Iliyah]

8. The polling outfit that gave shithole a 49% of approval? . .

Nope.

[walkingman]

11. Isn't it amazing that some would not vote for a socialist but would support a

racist, misogynist, homophobic, xenophobe instead. Says a lot about American voters.

[brush]

22. Let's face it, that's America. No surprise. Socialism is toxic to many, racism, not so much

[Watchfoxheadexplodes]

12. Doesn't matter house and senate will NOT

Work with him on ANYTHING if he lucks out and wins. He basically will be a place holder with Democrats hoping to do better next time.

[Tom Rinaldo]

13. Meanwhile Sanders is leading Trump by 8 points in national polls

And don't tell me that's because most of the public doesn't know that Sanders has called himself a Democratic Socialist. At this point he is one of the best known politicians in America. That fact is cited by his rivals to explain why so many of them can't catch him in the polls. Polls are notoriously effected by framing of questions. Some people simply may not think that a Democratic Socialist is the same thing as a Socialist. Some people might simply think "Bernie isn't really a Socialist" Some people might think "Bernie is the exception to the rule, he's not like most socialists, he's been a responsible Senator." Some people may not even be thinking period, and just firing from the hip.

Far, far, more meaningful are polls that simply ask the obvious: "If in November the choice is between Bernie Sanders as the Democratic Party candidate, or Donald Trump as the Republican Party candidate, who would you vote for?"

[TwilightZone]

20. Poll, not polls.

Quinnipiac is the only poll showing him with that large of a lead. All of the other recent polls have it between Trump +2 to Sanders +4. In the IBP/TIPP poll (A/B on 538), Biden and Bloomberg are the only two with a lead on Trump.

[calguy]

37. Meanwhile republicans are not attacking Sanders right now

They want to run against him. They are trying to build him up, not tear him down. They're saving the ammunition for the general if their campaign to get him the nomination succeeds. Ask yourself this question: Why are a lot of FoxNews pundits saying good things about Bernie?

[SpazzTheCat]

47. Don't forget 2016

The polls all showed Clinton crushing Trump...how did that go for us? I wouldn't put any faith in any vs. Trump polling.

Just like in 2016 I suspect that there are a large number of silent Trump supporters.

[avebury]

15. I really question Sanders ability to be elected.

If I had to rank the candidates in order of preference I would probably list him just ahead of Telsi Gabbard at the bottom of the list. Don't get me wrong, I will vote for whoever takes the Democratic Party nomination but I would prefer Joe, Elizabeth, Amy, Yang or Bloomberg over Sanders. As much as I lean to the left, the pragmatic choice in the Presidential race it to not choose the most left leaning candidate as it plays right into Trump's hands. The key do dealing with a sinking ship is to first plug the holes and then you can bail out the ship. As much as I love Warren, I am starting to lean towards Klobuchar who is smart, well composted and pretty unscathed at this time. But Bloomberg might need to be the material we need to plug the holes in the sinking ship. He could really go toe to toe against Trump. Trump is so irrational that Bloomberg could probably push Trump into making some really bad moves.


It is looking more and more like the Democrats might self implode if they don't stop attacking each other. I wish that all of the Democrat candidates would uniformly attack Trump and show why each one deserves your vote. There are already signs of some factions playing the I won't vote for the Democratic candidate unless it is my candidate which would pretty much guarantee Trump a victory if the Democrats don't unify behind whoever the candidate is in the general election.

There needs to be no infighting because, bottom line, the most important thing this year is to vote Trump out of office and trying to take control of the Senate. Hard core ideology won't mean sh*t if all we do is make is easier for Trump to be reelected.

[jr1118x]

16. Look at Independents

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/02/11/sanders-crushes-trump-18-points-among-independent-voters-new-national-general

[Act_of_Reparation]

19. "A socialist" isn't running for president.

"A socialist" won't show up on the ballot.

This is like the poll back in the 70's that showed the questions "What do you think of Richard Nixon" and "What do you think of the President" returned wildly different results.

[TwilightZone]

23. Sanders has referred to himself as a socialist for decades.

The "democratic" qualifier is relatively new. And good luck explaining what the difference is to the average voter.

Anyone who doesn't think it's going to come up and be an issue is kidding themselves.

[BeyondGeography]

28. Trump is already calling him a Communist

As many here predicted.

Wonder how that polls?

[still_one]

30. Exactly. Regardless, anyone who doesn't believe that this will come up in the general election is

being naïve, and you can count on the media insuring that it is so.

Warren and Harris made it very clear a year ago that they were NOT socialists, and said that to distinguish themselves from Sanders:

https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/433381-warren-says-its-just-wrong-to-call-her-a-socialist

and for those who think that can just be brushed under the rug, one of Sanders advocates, Ocasio Cortez proudly wears that label

If Sanders is the nominee I'll vote for him, but I believe trump will get another four years if that is the case.

This election is going to be hard enough as it is

[Act_of_Reparation]

40. That sound you hear is the point.

Whizzing over your head.

If you want to know whether people will vote for Bernie Sanders, you have to ask them if they will vote for Bernie Sanders. Asking them if they'd vote for "a socialist" doesn't return accurate results.

[TwilightZone]

46. Right, because they'll never make the connection.

Nearly everyone knows that Sanders is a socialist, democratic or otherwise. You really believe that when people are asked whether or not they would support a socialist that Sanders never crosses their minds?

Sorry, but that's laughable. The reason they're asking the question in the first place is solely *because* Sanders says he's a socialist.

[still_one]

26. If Sanders is the nominee, you can bank on it, especially in those swing states that determine

presidential elections, and if that is the case, it won't stop there either.

If Sanders is our nominee, the republicans will associate the whole Democratic party with the socialist label in their ads, and I believe that not only will we lose the WH, but both houses of Congress because of that label. Regardless whether it is right or wrong

[Iliyah]

33. Shithole is calling Bloomberg a racist . . .

go figure.

[apcalc]

34. If Bernie is the nominee, I am reminded of an expression.

Bob Prince, old time announcer for the Pittsburgh Pirates would say it as a home run sailed over the fence:
“You can kiss it goodbye!”

[denem]

36. A timely poll and OP, HPD.

[LeftTurn3623]

41. Glad we do not have a socialist running

so we have nothing to worry about

[Pacifist Patriot]

42. Having no clue they enjoy socialist services and would howl if they no longer had them.

I am not a fan of Sanders, but he did make a really good point the other day and one all candidates should heed. It's a foregone conclusion the GOP is going to use the word "socialist" as a weapon. Framing their vote as a choice between corporate socialism and democratic socialism might make some folks stop to think. Maybe. I hope. Sigh.

[JCMach1]

50. Americans hate isms... Ask any polling question

With an ism, or ist word and see what happens

[redstatebluegirl]

51. Sanders is going to bury our party.

[Zambero]

52. And the great revolutionary Susan Sarandon will return to her mega-mansion

reassured and content, knowing that whatever good remained has been lost in pursuit of the "perfect".

[Gothmog]

53. Only 45% of voters would even consider voting for a socialist. 53% say no

Link to tweet

[Gothmog]

55. Poll: Americans Won't Vote for a Socialist

Link to tweet

The Democratic primary field has been the most diverse in history, featuring African-Americans, women, a Latino, an Asian-American and a man in a same-sex marriage. The lineup has Democrats bragging about how their offers represent modern America, tempered by worries about the ''electability'' of the nontraditional candidates.
]
But according to a Gallup poll released Tuesday, Americans overwhelmingly are just fine with voting for a woman, as well as a black, Hispanic or (to a somewhat lesser extent) gay candidate. The sort of candidate a majority of Americans reject?

Socialist.

The category was the only one which had a majority of Americans, 53%, declaring they would not cast a ballot for a candidate so described (45% say they would vote for a well-qualified socialist).

The numbers are a bit of a warning bell for Sen. Bernie Sanders, a self-described Democratic socialist who is a top contender for the Democratic nomination for president. President Donald Trump has repeatedly thrown out the word ''socialist'' to tar Sanders, Democrats as a party, and various policy initiatives such as Medicare for All.

[Cha]

58. Thank you!

[thesquanderer]

59. Majority of REPUBLICANS will not consider voting for a Socialist. Majority of everyone else WOULD.

And those Republicans who won't consider a socialist are unlikely to be voting for ANY Dem.

[Wounded Bear]

56. More and more as time goes by...Gallup is looking like Rasmussen...nt

[Tarc]

60. I guess it's a good thing there isn't one running

Phew!

[MineralMan]

61. While Republicans will call any nominee a Socialist, only one is on camera claiming to be one.

That video of Sanders stating, "I AM a Socialist" will be the main ad run by Republicans.