Dem. Candidate For Vermont Governor: 'I'm Not Sure I Even Know What Socialism Is'

Brittany M. Hughes | August 15, 2018
DONATE
Font Size

Christine Hallquist, Vermont’s Democratic gubernatorial pick and the first transgender candidate to be nominated for state governorship by a major political party, admitted to CNN Tuesday that he….well, doesn’t really know what “socialism” is.

CNN's John Berman asked Hallquist during an interview on "New Day" Wednesday whether he considers himself a socialist, citing a new Gallup poll that revealed more Democrats identify with socialism than capitalism for the first time in history.

At first, Hallquist beat around the bush, saying he's "not big on labels" and claiming that things like higher minimum wages and universal health care aren’t really “socialist” agenda items -- despite their being hallmarks for self-described socialists like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

"I'm not a person that's big on labels because I found labels are used to separate people," Hallquist told Berman. "I look at the platform of a living wage and health care for all, that is called civilized society. I don't know even how that became socialism or Republican or Democrat. Let's be a civilized society." 

When Berman pointedly asked Hallquist on whether he supports capitalism, Hallquist hedged, saying something about how measuring a country by its gross domestic product is a "flawed measure because that just encourages consumption."

"When faced with a choice between the two, it does sound like you look more favorably...on the ideas behind socialism," Berman pressed.

"I'm not sure I even know what socialism is. I don't have the background to answer that question,” Hallquist admitted.

Check out the clip here:
 

 

 

donate