Liberal-city resident hesitates when pressed on beliefs: 'I hadn't really thought about socialism that way'

PORTLAND, Maine — Americans who were asked for their opinions of socialism by Fox News Digital offered sharply different interpretations of the ideology, with some embracing its promises of economic equality while others expressed strong reservations about government control over the means of production.

Fox News Digital took to the streets of Maine's largest city , a progressive bastion, to talk to residents about their definitions of socialism and how far they would be willing to go to embrace its ideals.

The topic of socialism has featured prominently in campaign coverage during this midterm election cycle, as candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) scored high-profile victories over more centrist rivals in a slew of Democratic primaries this year.

DSA's outsized influence has been a driving force in the ballot box battle for the Democratic Party's ideological future.

LIBERAL HOTSPOT RESIDENTS CAN'T AGREE ON WHAT SOCIALISM MEANS A new Fox News national poll indicates 32% of voters have a favorable view of socialism, with 64% seeing it in an unfavorable way.

But the favorable rating matches an all-time high, first reached five years ago, since Fox News first began asking the question in 2019.

And a September Gallup poll found that 43% of Americans had a positive image of socialism, the highest level since the polling organization began tracking the question in 2010.

Lewis, a retired Navy veteran, said socialism was a good thing because it "looks out for people's needs.... and it's not communism." 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.

CHECK OUT THE LATEST FOX NEWS NATIONAL POLL Lewis turned skeptical when Fox News Digital 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 answered.

"I don't like government taking things away from you." Nolan, who recently moved to Portland, told Fox News Digital "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." Nolan added that "business owners should have their autonomy" and that "people deserve to earn their money." "But there are a lot of really high-end...