POLL SHOWS MOST AMERICANS SAY THEY WOULD NOT VOTE FOR A SOCIALIST – IS THAT TRUE

In a new Hill.TV/HarrisX American Barometer poll recently released, an overwhelming majority of respondents, 76 percent, said they would not vote for a “socialist” political candidate, while only 24 percent of those polled said they would vote for a socialist candidate.
 
The question that must be asked would be is a socialist candidate a socialist because they say they are a socialist or is it based on their philosophy and policies.   For the purpose of this discussion, and what should be the purpose of all discussions on this topic, we should define an individual not base on what they call themselves but whether or not their philosophy and policies are similar to or the same as what socialists believe.
 
This following statement is taken from the platform of the Socialists for a Democratic America (DSA).
 
“We are socialists because we reject an economic order based on private profit, alienated labor, gross inequalities of wealth and power, discrimination based on race, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, disability status, age, religion, and national origin, and brutality and violence in defense of the status quo. We are socialists because we share a vision of a humane social order based on popular control of resources and production, economic planning, equitable distribution, feminism, racial equality and non-oppressive relationships. We are socialists because we are developing a concrete strategy for achieving that vision, for building a majority movement that will make democratic socialism a reality in America. We believe that such a strategy must acknowledge the class structure of American society and that this class structure means that there is a basic conflict of interest between those sectors with enormous economic power and the vast majority of the population.
 
Based on this definition, you have supported a socialist if you supported a candidate who:
 
Supported high taxes on businesses as well as high income individuals, based on the words of Marx “a steeply progressives income tax.”
 
Supported control of the economy by government if through regulations, executive orders, or law. A person who supported for instance the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
 
Supported a strong EPA that believes all water for instance is under the domain of the Central government including rain water that falls on your private property. 
 
Supported sanctuary states or cities, open borders or weak borders, or supported the break down of rule of law by encouraging illegal immigration through any form.
 
Supported discrimination in the name of assisting minorities by supporting affirmative action programs that by their very nature are discriminatory and place the rights of a group over the rights of individuals.
 
Supported political correctness that in any way would suppress the individual rights outlined in the Declaration of Independence, the Untied Sates Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.
 
Of course, we could go on and on with all the anti-American programs supported by the socialists but suffice it to say that you have voted for a Socialist if you voted for a member of the Marxist/Progressive Party (Democrat) and if you voted for many of the Republican Establishment who are individualist in name only but support many of the programs as defined in the platform of the DSA and outlined by Marx. 
 
The poll is misleading.  The results would have been different if the poll had asked if the people support those who support the different specifics believed in and adhered to by socialist whether or not they call themselves socialists.  Remember, a thorn is still a thorn even if it is on the same stem that holds the rose.