Most Say Socialism Is Un-American

57%

A new Monmouth poll finds 57% of Americans say that socialism is not compatible with American values, while just 29% say it is compatible. Key finding: 42% have a negative opinion of socialism in general, with another 45% having a neutral opinion and just 10% holding a positive view of socialism. Meanwhile, 39% of Americans have a positive opinion of capitalism in general, while 40% have a neutral opinion and another 17% hold a negative view of capitalism.

Democrats More Positive About Socialism than Capitalism

57%

Gallup: “Democrats have a more positive image of socialism than they do of capitalism. Attitudes toward socialism among Democrats have not changed materially since 2010, with 57% today having a positive view. The major change among Democrats has been a less upbeat attitude toward capitalism, dropping to 47% positive this year — lower than in any of the three previous measures. … Republicans remain much more positive about capitalism than about socialism, with little sustained change in their views of either since 2010.”

Orion: Another Triumph of Red, White & Blue American Socialism

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Sorry, government-haters, but yesterday was a big day for NASA, the government’s space-exploration department, which successfully launched and recovered its new Orion spacecraft. According to NASA, the craft was sent into a brief orbit “atop a United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy rocket Dec. 5 at 7:05 a.m. EST from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Orion’s Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1), is the first flight test for NASA’s new deep space capsule and is a critical step on NASA’s journey to Mars.”

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Triumph of American Socialism: 70% of Tea Partyists Oppose Republican Plan to Kill Medicare

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One provision in the 2012 federal budget that was passed by Republicans on a party-line vote in the U.S. House last week is so unpopular that even 70 percent of tea baggers — a group formerly known as the “Bush base,” whose existence is solely based on its hatred of Pres. Obama — agrees with the president that Medicare and Medicaid should not be cut, according to a new poll from McClatchy-Marist [PDF].

To the question, “Do you support or oppose doing each of the following to deal with the federal budget deficit: Cut Medicare and Medicaid?” 23 percent of tea partyites answered that they supported the cuts, 70 percent opposed and 2 percent were not sure. Among all Republicans, 25 percent supported the cuts and 73 percent opposed.

Among all voters, the response was 18-80 percent in support. Among Democrats, it was 5-92 percent; independents: 23-75 percent.

The Republican approach to Medicare, which is now the party’s official position, is to convert it from a single-payer system into a voucher program that would force seniors to buy health insurance on the open market. The plan, which was developed by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.), would, in effect, kill Medicare as we know it.

It is not news that tea baggers claim to hate socialism while simultaneously clinging to Social Security and Medicare, the crown jewels of American socialism. During the debate on health-care reform, for example, their demand that the government keep its hands of Medicare was a constant theme.

But while tea baggers may agree with the president that Medicare should be preserved, their hatred for him has not softened. In the same poll, a whopping 80 percent of tea partyites said they disapprove of his job performance.