For years, Republicans have thrown around words like “socialist” and “communist” so casually that they risk making the words meaningless. They shouldn't.
Because eight weeks before the midterm elections, there is a real socialist movement operating inside American electoral politics, winning Democratic primaries and openly telling Americans exactly what it wants to accomplish.
It's called the Democratic Socialists of America. And instead of exaggerating what the DSA believes, Americans should simply read what the organization says for itself.
DSA doesn't call itself communist. It calls itself democratic socialist. That's an important distinction, particularly when we're talking about an organization participating in democratic elections.
But nobody needs to invent radical positions for the DSA. Its own platform provides plenty to debate. The organization's 2026 program envisions a future without capitalism and advocates public ownership of the largest corporations and essential industries. It calls for abolishing the Electoral College and the United States Senate. It proposes replacing the current presidency and Supreme Court with an executive and judiciary selected by and subordinate to Congress.
That's not something I pulled from a Republican campaign commercial. That's their platform. And Americans should know about it.
I've spent more than two decades in politics and worked on roughly 50 campaigns, from local elections to presidential races. One of the biggest mistakes campaigns make is assuming voters understand political organizations and ideological movements as well as the people working inside politics do. They don't.
Most Americans are busy working, raising families, paying mortgages and trying to figure out why their grocery bill suddenly looks like a car payment.
They aren't spending Tuesday night reading the Democratic Socialists of America's political program. But perhaps they should.
Because DSA isn't merely a group of activists holding signs outside city hall anymore. Its candidates are winning elections. New York City's DSA chapter says its endorsed candidates won nine of ten Democratic primary contests this summer. Two of those victories came in congressional races. The organization says its volunteers knocked on more than 800,000 doors during those campaigns.
That's organization. That's infrastructure. And that's political power.
Even more revealing is what DSA requires from candidates seeking its national endorsement. Candidates are expected to publicly identify as socialist or democratic socialist, support DSA's national platform and consider themselves “socialist organizers first, and legislators second.”
Again, those aren't Republican talking points. Those are DSA's own standards. So let's have the argument.
If Americans want public ownership of major industries, make the case. If Americans want to abolish the Senate, make the case. If Americans want to eliminate the Electoral College, fundamentally restructure the presidency and change the relationship between Congress and the Supreme Court, make the case. That's democracy.
But voters should understand what they're voting for. And Republicans shouldn't cheapen that debate by calling every Democrat a communist. Joe Manchin wasn't a communist. Neither is every liberal member of Congress. When every political opponent receives the most extreme label available, eventually voters stop listening. There is a much stronger argument available.
Read the platform. Quote it accurately. Then let Americans decide.
DSA itself says its objective is ultimately to end capitalism and build a socialist society. Americans are perfectly capable of deciding whether that's the future they want.
The midterms therefore present something larger than the usual Republican-versus-Democrat fight. They present an ideological argument about what America's economic and political institutions should look like.
Capitalism or socialism. Private enterprise or widespread public ownership. Reforming American institutions or replacing some of them entirely. Those are legitimate political debates. But they should be conducted honestly.
After roughly 50 campaigns, I've learned that the strongest political arguments usually aren't the ones requiring the most adjectives. They're the ones where you can simply put your opponent's own words on the screen. When it comes to the Democratic Socialists of America, nobody needs to tell voters what the organization believes. Hand them the platform. And let them read it.
Dr. Michael J. Schwartz is a nationally recognized media contributor, bestselling author, and former law enforcement officer. With advanced degrees in multiple disciplines and appearances on Newsmax, OAN, and Fox News Radio, he delivers sharp, unfiltered commentary rooted in real-world experience. Currently he is the host of The Mike Schwartz Show.
Because eight weeks before the midterm elections, there is a real socialist movement operating inside American electoral politics, winning Democratic primaries and openly telling Americans exactly what it wants to accomplish.
It's called the Democratic Socialists of America. And instead of exaggerating what the DSA believes, Americans should simply read what the organization says for itself.
DSA doesn't call itself communist. It calls itself democratic socialist. That's an important distinction, particularly when we're talking about an organization participating in democratic elections.
But nobody needs to invent radical positions for the DSA. Its own platform provides plenty to debate. The organization's 2026 program envisions a future without capitalism and advocates public ownership of the largest corporations and essential industries. It calls for abolishing the Electoral College and the United States Senate. It proposes replacing the current presidency and Supreme Court with an executive and judiciary selected by and subordinate to Congress.
That's not something I pulled from a Republican campaign commercial. That's their platform. And Americans should know about it.
I've spent more than two decades in politics and worked on roughly 50 campaigns, from local elections to presidential races. One of the biggest mistakes campaigns make is assuming voters understand political organizations and ideological movements as well as the people working inside politics do. They don't.
Most Americans are busy working, raising families, paying mortgages and trying to figure out why their grocery bill suddenly looks like a car payment.
They aren't spending Tuesday night reading the Democratic Socialists of America's political program. But perhaps they should.
Because DSA isn't merely a group of activists holding signs outside city hall anymore. Its candidates are winning elections. New York City's DSA chapter says its endorsed candidates won nine of ten Democratic primary contests this summer. Two of those victories came in congressional races. The organization says its volunteers knocked on more than 800,000 doors during those campaigns.
That's organization. That's infrastructure. And that's political power.
Even more revealing is what DSA requires from candidates seeking its national endorsement. Candidates are expected to publicly identify as socialist or democratic socialist, support DSA's national platform and consider themselves “socialist organizers first, and legislators second.”
Again, those aren't Republican talking points. Those are DSA's own standards. So let's have the argument.
If Americans want public ownership of major industries, make the case. If Americans want to abolish the Senate, make the case. If Americans want to eliminate the Electoral College, fundamentally restructure the presidency and change the relationship between Congress and the Supreme Court, make the case. That's democracy.
But voters should understand what they're voting for. And Republicans shouldn't cheapen that debate by calling every Democrat a communist. Joe Manchin wasn't a communist. Neither is every liberal member of Congress. When every political opponent receives the most extreme label available, eventually voters stop listening. There is a much stronger argument available.
Read the platform. Quote it accurately. Then let Americans decide.
DSA itself says its objective is ultimately to end capitalism and build a socialist society. Americans are perfectly capable of deciding whether that's the future they want.
The midterms therefore present something larger than the usual Republican-versus-Democrat fight. They present an ideological argument about what America's economic and political institutions should look like.
Capitalism or socialism. Private enterprise or widespread public ownership. Reforming American institutions or replacing some of them entirely. Those are legitimate political debates. But they should be conducted honestly.
After roughly 50 campaigns, I've learned that the strongest political arguments usually aren't the ones requiring the most adjectives. They're the ones where you can simply put your opponent's own words on the screen. When it comes to the Democratic Socialists of America, nobody needs to tell voters what the organization believes. Hand them the platform. And let them read it.
Dr. Michael J. Schwartz is a nationally recognized media contributor, bestselling author, and former law enforcement officer. With advanced degrees in multiple disciplines and appearances on Newsmax, OAN, and Fox News Radio, he delivers sharp, unfiltered commentary rooted in real-world experience. Currently he is the host of The Mike Schwartz Show.
