A number of politicians and pundits have accused President Barack Obama of leading the United States down a socialist path. However, many Americans appear to be confused about what socialism actually is. In a poll of 1,000 adults conducted Apr. 6-7, Rasmussen Reports found that 53 percent of Americans said they prefer capitalism to socialism, while 20 percent said they prefer socialism. More than one-quarter, 27 percent, said they're not sure which system is better. Another poll conducted this month by ConservativeHQ.com found that 70 percent of self-identified conservatives consider Obama's political philosophy "Socialist" or "Marxist," with 11 percent calling it "Communist."
Socialists say the policies Obama has pursued are hallmarks of "democratic capitalist" states, not socialist ones. "None of the societies of Western Europe are socialist, but the political influence of their strong Labor, Social Democratic, and Socialist parties make their form of capitalism much more humane than our own," says Frank Llewellyn, national director of the New York-based Democratic Socialists of America, the largest U.S. Socialist party.
Source: Business Week