General Discussion

I think it's absolutely nuts to claim to be a socialist of any kind (or a communist) and expect to gain any political power almost anywhere in this country.

That word is poisonous for the deserved negative association. Not to mention the constant drumbeat of rightwing fear mongering, which has made it radioactive. NAZI means Nationalsozialist, short for National Socialist German Workers' Party. Socialism and communism both involved terrible pain and oppression for people in countries that adopted them, including Cuba and Venezuela. There is no redeeming the word and any attempt to do so will just taint those who do so – and everyone even slightly associated with that.

BUT, before socialism was even invented, America had a belief in the common good, the general welfare of all who live here. So I'm not sure social democrat is an effective term. Too close to socialist.

Our common good, the commitment to the general welfare of all is not an economic system. It's a Golden Rule system. It's compatible with mom and pop, small business-type capitalism as well as other economic systems. It has historical roots that social good does not, and it avoids anything that smacks of socialism.