The popularity of far-left wing socialists like New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is now reflective of how rank and file Democrats feel. A new Gallup poll finds that 66% of Democrats have a favorable view of socialism, while only 42% of members view capitalism favorably.
Gary Bauer is chairman of the Campaign for Working Families. During an interview on American Family Radio he says the base of the Democrat party is clearly moving further to the left.
“The Democrat Party has been moving toward socialist ideas for a long time, but they do it by covering it up with a bunch of ornaments and making it look good. So, it's just basically big government control of every aspect of our lives. It’s a serious situation because it means that there are big things at stake in every election."
Much of the erosion of Americans’ positive image of capitalism comes from a decline among independent and Democratic voters, with Republican support largely remaining steady, The New York Post reports.
Democrats’ view of capitalism dropped from 50% positive in 2021 to 42%. That’s the first time the group’s approval amount dipped below 50%.
Independents’ perspective also went from 59% positive in 2021 to 51% in 2025.
But Republicans’ love of capitalism increased from 72% in 2021 to 74%, though it is still below the record high of 78% Gallup recorded in 2019.
Bauer says the Republicans and Democrats are going in totally different directions.
“The two parties, when you look at them now, in everything from economics to foreign policy to in many ways the most important thing of all, culture and religious liberty and sanctity of life, you can't get a bigger chasm between the two parties that exist right now."
