Poll: Majority of Republicans believe Obama is a 'socialist'

[DisturbedPervert]

You can find 20% of the population willing to support ghosts and thinking GWB was too liberal.

GWB was too liberal and 90% of Americans believe in some form of ghost

[Berkut]

Calling Obama a socialist is, for plenty of people on the right, just a pejorative. It is like listening to all the Lanuishites calling Bush a fascist. It doesn't really mean anything other than "I don't like him so I am going to call him something nasty".

Now, as to whether it is fair to call Obama an *actual* Socialist, I imagine that depends on how you define the term. If you look at American politics as a spectrum, is he more or less towards the end where "Socialists" sit? I dunno - I used to think so, but I've heard plenty of pretty hard core lefties who are pretty pissed off he isn't even remotely as far left as they though he was.

The poll did just what it was designed to do though - create grist for the left to be all horrified at how clearly stupid those who do not agree with them must be. Funny that they don't see the irony in that though.

[Valmy]

create grist for the left to be all horrified at how clearly stupid those who do not agree with them must be.

I do have a hard time imagining how people who think removing sex education while discouraging contraception, safe sex, and abortion is a great social policy are not rather stupid.  I am just giving them the benefit of the doubt, because otherwise I would have to conclude they are malevolent.

Of course, thankfully, not all people on the right are in favor of insane social policies.  Just enough of them to make me nervous.

[crazy canuck]

We have had the discussion about socialists in the US.  In the US a hard core leftie would be a moderate NDP member in Canada.  A hard core NDP member in Canada would be shot on sight in the US.

There are no socialists in the US.  There are few left in Canada.

[Berkut]

create grist for the left to be all horrified at how clearly stupid those who do not agree with them must be.

I do have a hard time imagining how people who think removing sex education while discouraging contraception, safe sex, and abortion is a great social policy are not rather stupid.  I am just giving them the benefit of the doubt, because otherwise I would have to conclude they are malevolent.

Of course, thankfully, not all people on the right are in favor of insane social policies.  Just enough of them to make me nervous.

Congratulations, you have figured out that there are ignorant people on the right who do not think very rationally. Kudos.

Kind of sad it takes some silly poll like this to illuminate this truism for you though.

[Valmy]

I dunno - I used to think so, but I've heard plenty of pretty hard core lefties who are pretty pissed off he isn't even remotely as far left as they though he was.

Besides the whole health care thing...which looks like just ended up just more of the same old thing we have now...I fail to see how he has done anything all that left wing.  Not that he had to do anything to have Republicans foaming at the mouth, simply his existance as President is all it takes.  Bush could have handed each leftist in this country a hundred dollars and they still would have hated him, same shit different day.

[Martinus]

Most people don't know what a socialist is. Any party that is slightly left of centre right is labelled a socialsit.

Face it, Americans are pretty ignorant and easily gullable

Actually, I think the term "socialist" has such a negative connotation here that folks on the left shy away from using it even when it is accurate.  We have quite a few de facto socialists in the US, but few will self-identify as such.

Err, the central tenet of socialism is public or worker ownership of means of production. Last time I checked Obama wasn't nationalizing American industry.

[Grallon]

Many of these people also belive in the flat earth or creationist myths as well as other sorts of religious-inspired stupidities.

How is it that a country like the US can maintain such a large contingent of... ignorant fucks?  I mean some of this shit is 3rd World grade obscurantism.




G.

[Valmy]

Congratulations, you have figured out that there are ignorant people on the right who do not think very rationally. Kudos.

Kind of sad it takes some silly poll like this to illuminate this truism for you though.

Huh?  I talk about this all the time, I only brought it up again in this thread because it is topical.  I live in Texas I am surrounded by it.  I visited a government office in the county just north of Austin a few days ago and it was full of Fundy Christian posters, posters with scare tactics against anybody having sex, and so forth.  Made me glad I don't live there.

[Martinus]

We have had the discussion about socialists in the US.  In the US a hard core leftie would be a moderate NDP member in Canada.  A hard core NDP member in Canada would be shot on sight in the US.

There are no socialists in the US.  There are few left in Canada.

Pretty much. It seems in the US someone with some moderate socialdemocratic ideas would be called a socialist, whereas any true socialist would consider a full-blown socialdemocrat to be a capitalistic sell-out.

[Eddie Teach]

I miss ED Hill's legs on Fox and Friends in the morning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AetBNbX3j7Q&feature=related (NSFW)

I always found her voice annoying.

[Valmy]

Err, the central tenet of socialism is public or worker ownership of means of production. Last time I checked Obama wasn't nationalizing American industry.

It is just like Berkut said.  It simply an insult over here and doesn't mean anything substantial, like calling Bush a fascist.

[Valmy]

How is it that a country like the US can maintain such a large contingent of... ignorant fucks?

What do you mean a 'country like the US'?  We have always been that way.  Besides all countries are full of ignorant fucks as most people are ignorant fucks.  Even most of the people who do not believe these things would if social pressure was applied.  Most people simply think what they are told to think.

[Berkut]

Most people don't know what a socialist is. Any party that is slightly left of centre right is labelled a socialsit.

Face it, Americans are pretty ignorant and easily gullable

Actually, I think the term "socialist" has such a negative connotation here that folks on the left shy away from using it even when it is accurate.  We have quite a few de facto socialists in the US, but few will self-identify as such.

Err, the central tenet of socialism is public or worker ownership of means of production. Last time I checked Obama wasn't nationalizing American industry.

He did want to takeover GM, and give it to the UAW.

That at least seems kinda socialist, doesn't it?

[Valmy]

He did want to takeover GM, and give it to the UAW.

That at least seems kinda socialist, doesn't it?

Since GM is pretty much just a pension scheme disguised as a car company they might as well