Six steps to socialism

According to Axios, columnist Mike Allen describes a six-stage pattern in party transformation—recoil, squint, rationalize, submit, amplify, and purge. Allen argues Republicans completed this cycle under Trump and warns Democrats may be entering the same progression, with recent primary results showing democratic socialist-backed candidates defeating establishment incumbents, including one backed by House Democratic leadership. A Gallup survey found Democrats view socialism more favorably than capitalism by twenty-four points, the widest margin on record, sharpest among younger voters. Allen notes the language shift is telling: Democrats saying "it's not socialism, it's affordability" echoes Republicans saying "it's not the tweets, it's the judges." Former Commerce Secretary Bill Daley, warning in The Wall Street Journal, argues Democrats need to aggressively reject out-of-mainstream ideas rather than rationalize them, or risk the same hijacking that befell Republicans.

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