Every few election cycles, America rediscovers an old political pastime: name-calling dressed up as moral clarity. This year’s favorite epithet is “socialist.” But when we label something, we often fail to see what’s really resonating. Republicans warned Barack Obama was a socialist. He won twice. In 2016 and 2024, Democrats branded Donald Trump a fascist. He still won. The pattern is clear: moral name-calling doesn’t persuade. It polarizes. It makes us feel righteous but sound out of touch. In this thought-provoking opinion piece for FoxNews.com, Lee Carter suggests that when everything becomes an “-ism,” we stop listening for the “why.”
Lee Carter on the effect of labeling the opposition: Opinion piece on Foxnews.com
October 30, 2025
