Howard Schultz says he may run as an independent because of the “far left shift” of the Democratic Party. Talking heads on the major networks repeatedly refer to things like requiring the extremely wealthy to pay their fair share in taxes, or enacting stricter gun laws, or acting to mitigate (since we can no longer prevent) the disastrous effects of climate change, as “far left” policy proposals. But how should “far left” be defined?
Time after time, polling shows that the policy proposals conservatives and self-proclaimed “centrists” decry as far left are actually supported by a majority of Americans. Here are a few recent examples.
Public option: a Kaiser Family Foundation poll in January found that 73% of Americans somewhat favor or strongly favor “a national government administered health plan similar to Medicare open to anyone” that allowed people to keep private insurance if they prefer.
Single payer: the same poll found 56% somewhat or strongly in favor of a single-payer Medicare for All program that would eliminate private insurance.
Warren’s wealth tax: A Business Insider poll in January found 54% of Americans in favor of Elizabeth Warren’s proposal to impose a 2-3% wealth tax on Americans with over $50 million in assets.
AOC’s 70% marginal tax rate on income above $10 million, according to a Hill-HarrisX survey conducted in January, is favored by 59% of Americans.
Climate action: an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll in December found that 45% of Americans say climate change is a serious problem requiring immediate action, and another 21% say there is enough evidence that some action should be taken. 69% think the government should be doing more about it.
Roe v. Wade support is not generally regarded as a far left position, although some on the far right may consider it so. In any event, a Quinnipiac poll in July of 2018 found that 66% of Americans would consider overturning Roe v. Wade a bad thing, and 64% say abortion should be legal in most or all cases.
Gun control: A Quinnipiac poll in January found 56% support for stricter gun laws. “Background checks for all gun buyers” are supported by 92% of Americans, including 89% of Republicans.
So what’s “far left” about policies supported by the majority of the American people?
(NOTE: The gray “neutral” percentages represented in the graphic have been adjusted where necessary in order to bring the total to exactly 100% without changing the percentages in favor or opposed.)