Verified answer

He is part socialist. He only wants to give the opportunity of healthcare for all.

I dont know if it was how I was raised but denying healthcare for all for real non elective stuff is like denying someone air. Someone should be at least offered the bare minimum.

Frankly, you should do some serious study into this matter if you want a really intellectual definition of socialism. I don't think that Barack Obama is a socialist. He just thinks the people should own the government instead of the government owning the people. Government should serve the people. We all put some money into the hat, and government officials spend it to provide services like schools, roads, defense, etc. We send representatives to Washington to advocate for us and to make our will known. We should be getting something for the taxes we pay. Instead we've had eight years through which the government has waged a war that has only benefitted a few rich people and has left our economy in a shambles. It's time that the money we put into the hat goes to pay for things that help us, like health care and better education for our children and new jobs for the 735,000 lost just this year.

If Obama were a socialist, he would be advocating government ownership of all of our hospitals to be operated by government employees. He's not doing that. He's talking about making health care more affordable and available and about making it possible for your kids to go to college.

The Republicans always win through fear. The War on Terror. What a joke! Now they are trying to make you afraid of a good and decent man who only wants to help his country. The Big Greed Machine that currently runs things is about to lose, and they will try anything to scare you.

Be careful, I asked this same question and followed up with some facts and it got reported by some whiny little liberal who didn't know what excuse he or she could come up with to make it look like he's not a socialist.... By definition, he's not a full-fledged socialist. But his policies will lead the government to think they can control much more than they already do. His policies will lead to the destruction of our class system. Remember what he said about building the economy from the bottom up? What that means is he'll take money from anyone making over 150k (not 250k anymore, he changed his mind) and give it, not to the middle working class, but to the poor. Sooner or later, that taxing policy will get out of hand and it will destroy the class system which will indeed destroy the American dream... Remember the last president that pissed off and over-taxed the upper-middle and upper class? It was Herbert Hoover. And what happened as a result of that policy? The Great Depression. He wants to take our firearms away. He wants a semi-universal health care system. He wants the government to take care of its people more than it already does, instead of allowing people to have their own responsibility. He stated himself that his policies will bankrupt the coal industry. And he's for regulating many other industries around the country... Obama is for making the government larger, stronger, and more powerful over the people. He's not a true socialist, but his policies will lead to socialism down the road.

Look at his policies. When he said that it was good to spread the wealth around, he didn't mean to directly take money from the rich and give it to the poor. He isn't Robin Hood and doesn't want to be. He was talking about his policy on progressive taxes which the great Teddy Roosevelt (Republican) first introduced to the US. Which means those that can afford to pay higher taxes rates will. It isn't like they are paying a significant percentage more (only 3%). Anyway, all Obama wants to do is let Bush's tax breaks for the wealthy expire and let our taxes laws go back to what they were before Bush, when our economy was good and prosperous.

The reason that the Republicans use this scare tactic is because socialism is the stepping stone from capitalism (which we have now) to communism as according to Marx. If you look at the basic principles of democratic, liberal, or progressive policies you will see that they favor heavily on a free market economy (capitalism). So these kinds of attacks are contradicting and are only used to instill fear into those who know no better.

The correct chain of events for this question would be for you to first tell us WHY he is a socialist.

Here's a wiki cut and paste to help you out:

"Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods, and the creation of an egalitarian societ"

Has he said he wants anything like that? Does he want to collectivize our industries? Does he want government to control when and where you can buy things? Please do a little research. It's nice that you are paying attention this year, but you should research some of the claims people throw out there before you take them as truth.

EDIT: you get those kind of responses because of the way you phrase your question. If you instead gave people evidence as to why Obama is a socialist, and then asked for opposing evidence, you might get some better responses. Your question makes it appear that you don't even really know what socialism or a socialist is. That's why you get those responses. If you want to have a good debate on it, bring up some facts of your own. The burden of proof is on the accuser, not the other way around.

Tito the Builder went to see his psychiatrist. While nervously rocking back and forth, he said to the doctor, "Sir, I'm a total wreck these days. Barack Obama wants to start socialism in this country and I'm afraid I am going to lose everything that I have worked so hard for. I believe I am much better off to support the top part of this country so that everything will trickle down from that and the economy will be good this way. Oh my, what on earth will I do with myself if Barack Obama wins the Presidency? The Psychiatrist looked at Tito and said, "Well, Tito, look, there's no need for you to worry. You actually already have the answer to your problem." Tito anxiously awaited to hear more. "Really?", he said. The psychiatrist replied, "Yes, it's true, Tito. You already know and there is no need for your sadness. You see, Tito, since when have we ever built houses from the top down?" Tito stood up from his chair, with the biggest smile ever and said, "You're right, doctor. I did have the answer all along. D**n that John McCain for scaring me! I'm going to go build a house. Thanks doctor. I'm all better now."

Two things:

(1) It always fall on the accuser to prove the charges, this is established in law. Since you are calling him a "socialist", it is incumbent on you (and like minded Republicans) to prove this statement. Obama has repeatedly denied this. The burden of proof is with the accuser, not the accused. What the accused does is to defend him/herself, based on what the "charges" and "proofs" are.

(2) By his running for and being in the Senate for all these years, he has proven himself as someone who believes in democracy. If he were a true "socialist", he would be working OUTSIDE the framework of the democratic government, not within it.

Because he is not changing the tax SYSTEM...just adjusting the rates. We currently have a progressive system...the more you make...the higher percentage you pay.

If Obama is a socialist, then so is McCain and so is Bush, Clinton, and any other president that has supported the progressive tax. It is not a new idea.

Americans really need to learn how your OWN F'ING tax system works....because you are making all of us look pretty damn ignorant.

EDIT: What facts do you want? Your question asks us to prove a negative...which is logically impossible...look it up. The burden of proof is on YOU to prove that he is a socialist. I'll go ask that question right now...make sure you come and give me your FACTS that he is a socialist.

Go educate yourself: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative_proof

EDIT2: Go ahead and answer mine Momsey. I know you won't....because you can't without looking stupid...but here is the link anyway.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ApvI0...

Let me give you an example. Allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire and rolling the rate back to 39% (was at 36%) is not socialism. Making someone pay their fair share of taxes isn't socialism.

ANYHOW in 2001 JOHN MCCAIN supported the 36% instead of the 39% because:

[QUOTE] “I am disappointed that the Senate Finance Committee preferred instead to cut the top tax

rate of 39.6% to 36%, thereby granting generous tax relief to the wealthiest individuals of our country at the expense of lower- and middle-income American taxpayers.” [McCain Senate floor statement, May 21, 2001]

Secondly - this would be socialism...[QUOTE]

“Americans are angry, they’re upset, and they’re a little fearful. It’s our job to fix the problem…I would order the secretary of the treasury to immediately buy up the bad home loan mortgages in America and renegotiate…at the diminished value of those homes.“ (John

McCain)

--Taking up collective ownership? Socialism? YOU BETCHA!

You do know there are different economic theories, right? The one pushed most often by the right is trickle-down economics. Trickle-down economics has never worked and will never work. Even daddy Bush called it "voodoo economics."

Democrats, on the other hand, generally believe in buttressing the middle class because that is the engine that drives our society. And BTW, the rich do not always put their money back into the market--they often stash it in off-shore or Swiss bank accounts. The middle class, on the other hand, always spends their money, which pumps up the economy.

Both parties redistribute wealth. The Repubs take from the middle class and give to the wealthy (as Bush has done for eight years, with the results we are seeing now) and the Dems take from the very wealthy and give to the middle class. I guess you have to decide which one of those theories works best for you.

Look up Brian Moore. He is the socialist candidate running for president. He will share with you that Obama is farther away from socialism than any of the candidates and that his views and agenda are NOT socialist views at all.

Your ultra-right wing scary smear tactics are so over the top old, disproven, and tiresome...

Talk about sheep and kool-aid drinkers ... all of you seem to be beyond naive and vulnerable listening to St Hannity and the Almighty Rush.