Do most socialists in the USA register as Democrats or as Independents?

I've always been curious about this. And just so were clear, I'm talking more about democratic socialists and Trotskyists; not about people who hump Josef Stalin or neo-liberals who call themselves socialists while lapping up everyone of Tony Blair's words.

And for the purpose of my question, state department socialists and ex-commies like Perle and Wolfowitz don't count.

For some reason, I had always assumed that people who supported small parties registered as Independents, with some Libertarians registering as Republicans and moderate socialists registering as Democrats.

voters registration lists in Oregon and a number of people register as Socialist. I saw that in Wisconsin too.

I'm registered as a Dem, too.

register as Democrat

But, I have no problem voting for 3rd parties when necessary.

"I never submitted the whole system of my opinions to the creed of any party of men whatever, in religion, in philosophy, in politics, or in anything else, where I was capable of thinking for myself. Such an addiction is the last degradation of a free and moral agent. If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all." --Thomas Jefferson to Francis Hopkinson, 1789.

"Were parties here divided merely by a greediness for office,...to take a part with either would be unworthy of a reasonable or moral man." --Thomas Jefferson to William Branch Giles, 1795.

“Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost." --John Quincy Adams

I'm a socialist, and I am enrolled as a Dem. I would bet many more are "not enrolled in a political party" = blanks.

Golisano had a better education policy than Puketaki.

and I value the party line (Independence party line). But it is really Ron Paul's or Pat Buchanan party more then it is independent or socialist...

Florida Socialist Party. Florida lets you check "Minority Party" and write in the name of choice and that was this person's write in for their party.

The dumbest was the one who wrote in "Nader's Party" - if you care enough to vote for an oddball candidate, IMO you should at least know what party he is running with for this election.

Maybe someday (not any time soon I'm sorry to say) working people will have their own party that looks like the Labor Party but is thousand's of times larger. Until that time most socialists like me will share the Democratic Party with the corporate types like the DLC.

any party you want to as long as you register Republican or Democratic. Locally, I vote for the person except not for republicans. Republicans usually win. State government positions, I vote Democratic and they usually win. This year there is a republican that I am afraid will win for our state representative in our area, and I cannot stand him. I grew up with him and he was a nice little boy, but has he ever changed. He now seems to be a real egotistic idiot.

For the national government positions Representative and Senators I vote Democratic, and also for the President. I consider myself somewhat a socialist.

But, for all intents and purposes, you're right. There's no recognized Socialist Party in Illinois.

no such thing here. :shrug:

We have a lawyer down here that runs for offices as a Green, and we vote for him every time. He never gets elected although he is the most knowledgeable of the candidates and usually is the most desirable of them. I think people are afraid of the Green name because of some of the more irrational ones. He is Green but he is reasonable, and a really nice guy.

It should be for all if us....though the same corporate imperialist republicans tell us socialism is wrong...And we believe them, as they eat us alive with their socialism...Socialism only for the rich and corporations, as it is.

For the rest of us it's capitalism, to bail out the socialist corporate republicans.

Fascism - The Nationalist Socialist Corporate Party = Nazi - Republicans!

Well, for starters, it's worth pointing out that Stalinists and post-Stalinists, neo-liberals and right-wing social-democrats are all likely to register Democratic. There's a partial exception in the case of Stalinists, some of whom advocate abstention. The same is true of Maoists and post-Maoists, with a very small number of these instead backing progressive third parties like the Greens.

Trotskyists are likely to register as either Green or Independent. Some are also registered with third parties that are only on registration forms in some states (like the Peace and Freedom Party). Trotskyists pretty much universally endorse either their own candidates or those of progressive third parties.

Left social democrats will tend to back mostly the Democrats, with some support also for progressive third party candidates, and could be registered as any of these.

There are also "ultra-left" socialists who advocate abstention in all circumstances. Anarchists are similar, support abstention as a matter of principle, but as principle is not the same as theory or strategy, they sometimes find themselves endorsing the lesser evil (or worse) in practice.

as long as we have a single-round plurality voting system, I am forced to select between the two most popular parties so that my vote is not wasted. Simple as that.

but register independent.

The New Democratic Party in Canada is a democratic socialist party that usually polls around 15-20%. The Democratic party here in the USA is becoming way too centrist for my tastes. My Dem vote is more an "anti-Rethuglican" vote anymore.

For the presidential election, if no candidate gets a majority of the electoral votes, then Congress decides by itself who becomes President. Interestingly, that's how Congress wanted it to be in the first place. After all, what is the likelihood that ONE single person would get a majority of the electoral vote? Then political parties grew in power, perhaps for this very reason.

Socialism has a bad reputation in the United States. Even accusing someone of being a socialist is considered to be a smear. Most Americans hate socialism but don't even know what it is. I mean, only 43% of Americans know that Condoleeza Rice is the Secretary of State. I saw this in a poll earlier this year. Very disturbing indeed. :scared:

who weren't getting their way would often call me a communist. I'd give them a quizzical look and say "I'm not a communist. I believe in HEAVILY REGULATED privately-owned property. That makes me a SOCIALIST." They never knew how to respond. :)

BTW - I'm registered as a Democrat.