Man on the Street: Is Bernie Sanders a socialist?

Sanders’ campaign for the Democratic nomination has triggered a national conversation about his political ideology. Attendees gave their thoughts:

“I think he does support a total universal welfare state. When you translate it into the U.S., I guess it could be seen as socialist.”

Jason Zaremba, Raleigh, N.C.

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“Yes, he has socialist tendencies. To me, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. He’s not a pure socialist, but I think that he is trying to reach a middle ground.”

James Burge, Greensboro, N.C.

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“I don’t know how I would define ‘socialist,’ but I definitely agree with most of his ideas. I don’t think I would label him.”

Conner Flowe, Charlotte, N.C.

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“I do believe he is a socialist, but I believe he’s a democratic socialist.”

Mike Nawa, Eden, N.C.

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“Many of his policies aren’t strictly socialist. They’re more along the lines of him following other developed countries’ models.”

Christian Prine, Julian, N.C.