Gallup asked 972 Americans to offer snap impressions -- favorable or unfavorable -- of a few of the faces that shape (or don't shape) our lives, and the result was one of two headlines: either "Socialism Viewed Positively by 36% of Americans" (Gallup's own hed) or "Majority of Dems View Socialism Positively" (Real Clear Politics).
But there are two other possible headlines here: "1 of Every 6 Republicans Views Socialism Favorably" (that's right -- 17%) and, more significantly, "Americans Still Heart Capitalism, After All It's Done to Them." That, to me, is the real revelation here. Check out this chart (click to enlarge):
Two years into a recession and we still like capitalism that much? Not even temporarily do more than a third of us feel wounded enough to dislike it? And even big business still inspires good feelings in half of us? Now?
And there really isn't much of a party skew. Among Republicans and Republican leaners there's 72% approval of capitalism -- but among Democrats and Democratic leaners the number is 53%. Big business? Republicans/leaners 53%, Democrats/leaners 46%.
And bizarrely, when you break it out by ideology, liberals are more pro-capitalism and pro-free enterprise than moderates, for heaven's sake:
The newsflash in this poll is supposed to be how much the Dirty Hippie Party hates our economicsystem. I'd say the newsflash is how much Democrats -- and everyone else -- still love it.
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In case the point of the above isn't obvious, this is why no one's out in the streets demanding fat cats' heads.
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