While I also think it is completely possible that few of the people asked have any idea what socialism actually means (and likely think it is something more like Social Democracy) I also think there is something to the fact that there isn't much of a strategic ideological advantage to claiming to support socialism in the US. Saying you like Small Businesses is something of a hegemonic reflex--like saying you love freedom or liberty. You almost *HAVE* to say that you support small businesses to feel okay about yourself (well you, Doug, don't--and with good reasons I am increasingly persuaded by, but the average citizen is fed a steady diet of pablum about pa and ma shops); but saying you support socialism in a culture that has typically seen the term as a slur seems to have more agency involved. If, as Richard says, this has to do with the population that have most recently taken up the slur, then I agree, it would be a good opening. (the Handle quote is great.)
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