Americans do not want socialism

Many of the Democratic candidates for 2020 have been fully embracing socialist policies, but Americans simply do not want a socialist president. This will come back to haunt the party in this next election and beyond. Socialism promises “prosperity, equality, and security” but has repeatedly delivered “poverty, misery, and tyranny.” The world has seen how socialist policies have destroyed countries like Cuba, Venezuela, and North Korea.

Today, the crisis continues to unfold in Venezuela. Nearly 90 percent of its people live below the poverty line, its public health system has collapsed, families across the country are starving, children are dying, and every day has become a painful fight for survival. This horrible fate is exactly what Americans do not want to see happen in the United States. According to the latest NBC and Wall Street Journal poll, only 18 percent of Americans say that they view socialism positively. Meanwhile, about 50 percent of Americans say that they view socialism negatively. The results are clear.

{mosads}President Trump talked about the issue of socialism during his 2019 State of the Union address. He said, “In the United States, we are alarmed by new calls to adopt socialism in our country. America was founded on liberty and independence, not government coercion, domination, and control. We are born free, and we will stay free. Tonight, we renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist country.” He is right.

The United States will never be a socialist country because Americans do not want socialism and will never let this happen. Looking forward to the 2020 election, it is obvious that Americans are not looking for a socialist in the White House. When asked about the most desirable characteristics for a candidate for president, 72 percent of Americans say that they have total reservations or are very uncomfortable with a socialist candidate.

Simply put, an overwhelming majority of voters do not want a socialist to serve as president of the United States. Yet, the Democrats continue to propose socialist policies in their campaign platforms. Everything from free college tuition and the Green New Deal to universal child care and Medicare for all have been supported by many of the 2020 candidates.

Sure, some of these policies might sound great at first. However, when you dig deeper into all the details, it becomes clear that they are nothing more than unaffordable first steps toward disaster in the United States. At the end of the day, this embrace of socialism will hurt the Democrats in the 2020 election. Not only do Americans very strongly oppose socialism, but Americans truly want less government rather than more government.

Americans want economic policies that provide more opportunities to prosper. According to a recent Fox News poll, 55 percent of Americans want the government to leave them alone, compared to the 34 percent who say they want the government to lend them a hand. Americans do not want a socialist president, and the Democrats are just not listening.

As Vice President Mike Pence proudly told supporters last week, “It was freedom, not socialism, that gave us the most prosperous economy in the history of the world. It was freedom, not socialism, that ended slavery, won two world wars, and stands today as a beacon of hope for all the world.” He said, “It was freedom, not socialism, that is moving us beyond the prejudices of the past to create a more perfect union and extend the blessings of liberty to Americans of every race and creed and color.”

Freedom is what our ancestors fought to provide. Freedom is what we must protect today. Socialism is threatening our way of life in this country, but Americans will never allow a socialist to make it to the White House.

Madison Gesiotto is an attorney and commentator who serves with the advisory board of the Donald Trump campaign. She was an inauguration spokesperson and former Miss Ohio. She is on Twitter @MadisonGesiotto.