Democrats Embrace Socialism As Europeans Realize It Made Them Poor

CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten said Democrats have undergone one of the more striking ideological shifts in modern American politics, pointing to polling showing a sharp decline in favorable views of capitalism and a corresponding rise in support for socialism inside the party.

It explains why so many senior Democrats have become fine with attacking America’s democratic institutions established in the Constitution, like the Electoral College, Senate, and Supreme Court.

Appearing on CNN’s Erin Burnett Out Front, Enten cited Gallup data showing that Democrats once viewed capitalism and socialism at roughly equal levels. In 2010, about half of Democrats held favorable views of each system.

That balance has since disappeared.

“Capitalism has absolutely fallen through the floor,” Enten said. “Look at this: it’s now just 42% of Democrats who have a favorable view of capitalism.”

The numbers are even more striking when placed beside Democratic views of socialism. According to the data Enten presented, socialism now commands broad support within the party’s base.

“Socialism, on the other hand, has risen like a rocket — look at this, two in three Democrats have a favorable view of socialism,” he said.

The shift helps explain why candidates running under the democratic socialist banner have become increasingly competitive in Democratic primaries and major-city elections. What was once treated by party leaders as a fringe label has become, at least among Democratic voters, a far more acceptable political identity.

Enten also pointed to polling on the Democratic Socialists of America, noting that the organization now enjoys a stronger image among Democrats than congressional Democrats themselves. According to the data, DSA holds a +17 net favorability rating among Democrats, compared with a +4 rating for Democrats in Congress.

“So, no wonder that democratic socialists have such a good chance because simply put, they are a better brand at this point than Democrats in Congress,” Enten observed.

The trend has played out in recent elections, where democratic socialist candidates have scored high-profile victories or emerged as serious contenders against more traditional Democratic figures. Zohran Mamdani’s 2025 victory as mayor of New York City became one of the clearest examples of the movement’s growing strength, while similar candidates have gained ground in other urban races and primaries.

For Democratic leaders, the numbers present a difficult political problem. The party’s activist base has moved sharply left on economic questions, while the broader electorate continues to view capitalism more favorably than socialism. That gap leaves national Democrats trying to appeal to voters who remain skeptical of socialism without alienating a base increasingly comfortable with the label.

Enten framed the shift as part of a longer-term realignment rather than a temporary reaction to one election cycle. Democratic voters are not merely expressing dissatisfaction with individual politicians or current economic conditions. They are increasingly rejecting the economic framework that once enjoyed bipartisan support.

That change could shape the party’s direction heading into the 2026 midterms and beyond. Democratic socialists are no longer simply pressuring the party from the outside. In some of the country’s largest and most politically influential cities, they are becoming one of the most energetic forces inside it.

The question for Democrats now is whether that energy helps them mobilize younger and more progressive voters and drive America into the ground, like Europe, or give Republicans a chance to continue to defend American prosperity.

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