Voters in Portland, Maine, are sharply divided over what socialism means and how far they would go to embrace it, according to interviews conducted in the city's Monument Square, as candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) notch high-profile primary victories over more centrist rivals this election cycle.
The DSA's growing influence has become a driving force in the ballot-box battle over the Democratic Party's ideological future, making the definition of socialism a central question for voters heading into the midterms. Recent polling underscores the national stakes: a new Fox News national poll found that 32 percent of voters hold a favorable view of socialism, matching an all-time high first reached five years ago, while 64 percent view it unfavorably. A September Gallup poll put positive views of socialism at 43 percent, the highest level since the organization began tracking the question in 2010.
In Portland, a progressive stronghold, residents offered interpretations that ranged from enthusiastic support to outright rejection. Lewis, a retired Navy veteran, said socialism was a good thing because it «looks out for people's needs» and «it's not communism.» But he turned skeptical when asked whether he would personally surrender private property to government or collective control. «I guess. I hadn't really thought about socialism that way. I think about taking care of the needs of people, you know, things like national health care, things like that,» he said. «I don't like government taking things away from you.»
Socialism and communism both emphasize collective ownership of the means of production, such as factories, businesses and major industries. But socialism encompasses a range of approaches, including those that allow private enterprise, while communism traditionally envisions the abolition of private ownership of productive assets and, ultimately, a classless society.
Nolan, who recently moved to Portland, said «there's a lot of wealth imbalance in America right now, and we could benefit from some sort of leveling system.» He said socialism exists to help «people who aren't as, you know, benefiting in society.» Still, he drew a line: «business owners should have their autonomy» and «people deserve to earn their money.» He argued that «there are a lot of really high-end corporations that benefit so much that really don't need that much wealth» and that «there's so much exorbitant wealth at the top end that a lot of that could trickle down to people who are disadvantaged and don't have homes.»
Nola, another resident passing through Monument Square, described socialism as «a good thing. It means equity.» Asked about the takeover of businesses and means of production under socialism, she said she still «100 percent» supported it. «I'm the daughter of a small business owner. I've seen how tough it is to run a small business in this country and how easy it is for corporations to just do whatever they want,» she said. «So if we gave actually back to small businesses and the government helped them out and so much of the market that's privatized actually became public, I think with how big the U.S. has gotten, it's only a good thing.»
Ted disagreed. «Socialism overall, I think it's a horrible idea,» he said. «If we can learn from history, anything from history, we see that it's gonna really give way too much power to the government institution. It's gonna make things that are harmful overall for everyone. It's like it's dictatorship.» Ted argued that «socialism just impoverishes. Capitalism, the free market economy is a good thing.» He added that while «some people are very wealthy and very greedy,» capitalism overall «creates other wealth for other people.»
The new Fox News poll found that 51 percent of voters had a favorable view of capitalism, compared with 32 percent who viewed socialism favorably. Another 46 percent had an unfavorable view of capitalism. The mixed sentiments in Portland reflect a broader national debate over economic inequality and the role of government, as DSA-backed candidates push the Democratic Party toward more progressive policies.