Democrats, according to a recent Gallup poll, have a more favorable opinion of socialism than of capitalism. I don't take this to be an endorsement of actual socialism as we might have understood the term four decades ago, however; I see it as the expression of a desire to move much further to the left, and if necessary to think outside the usual boxes.
Look at Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Democratic candidate who is likely to represent parts of New York City in the next Congress. Her agenda calls for single-payer health insurance, a federal jobs guarantee and the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Whether or not you agree, it is striking how much these stances have become part of the broader debate.
On the Republican side, the presidency of Donald Trump has taken the party to all sorts of unexpected places, ranging from trade wars against our Canadian ally to a frontal assault on the legitimacy of the FBI. Even before Trump, a Republican Senate was unwilling even to consider the Supreme Court nomination of Merrick Garland, an unprecedented step in modern times.
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