FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
Socialism may be tossed around like a dirty word these days, but it turns out more than one-third of Americans have a positive image of socialism.
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A new Gallup poll shows 36 percent of those surveyed have a positive view of socialism, while 58 percent have a negative opinion.
No surprise that there is a big partisan gap here - most Democrats and liberals have a positive view of socialism, compared to the negative image held by most Republicans and conservatives.
The poll also shows Americans are very positive in their reactions to these terms:
- Small Business
- Free Enterprise
- Entrepreneurs
While they are divided on the terms:
- Federal Government
- Big Business
As for capitalism, Americans respond more positively than negatively - by almost two to one - 61 to 33 percent.
But out of all the items in this poll, socialism has the lowest positive rating and the highest negative rating - yet like we said, that positive view still tops one-third, which is significant.
In recent months - some of the president's critics have taken to calling him a socialist.
They point to some of Mr. Obama's policies, including what they call a government takeover of health care, as proof.
Here’s my question to you: What does it mean if 36 percent of Americans have a positive view of socialism?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Eimerd from California writes:
I come from a family where my grandfather was an early socialist, and my father was a very popular politician for the Dutch Labor party. Although I don’t consider myself a socialist per se, I do support the social democratic policies upheld by most of the northern European countries. The standard of living in the Scandinavian countries and Holland are the best in the world, and for most of the decades after WW2 these countries have been ruled by social democratic parties.
Bob from Arizona writes:
It means the number of lazy people who want handouts is growing. That is scary.
Ralph from Centerville, Illinois writes:
It means that at least one-third of our population has actually looked up the definition of socialism in some sort of reference material and found that it is not the definition the right-wing wackos use.
Charisse from Toledo, Ohio writes:
It means that 'socialism' is no longer the dirty word that conservatives can fling at liberals McCarthy-style, and the very idea of equality is becoming much more appealing as corporate fat-cats mismanage America's economy.
Jean-Bernard from Canada writes:
Canada is often seen as a socialist country by Republicans… Strangely, my house did not lose value in the past decade, we were not as creative to come up with sub-prime mortgages, no banks went belly up and we have universal (although imperfect) health care... I guess socialism isn't that bad after all.
Overby writes:
That 36% that like socialism and the 33% that don't like capitalism sound like the same group - people that don't/won't try to get ahead and become successful, and just want as much of a free ride as they can get off the people that Obama wants to tax to death for doing good.
Harold from Alaska writes:
Sounds like we're still in the minority, but time is on our side.