Kamala’s Price Controls: Yes, Voters Know it’s Communism
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Key Takeaways
- The Harris campaign’s proposal to implement price controls on retail goods is generating outrage and fears of communism.
- A 70% majority of voter conversations oppose Harris’s proposals and more than 50% link them to communism or socialism.
- Voters parallel Harris’s recent policy proposals with historical examples of government economic controls in Venezuela, Cuba, the Soviet Union, and 1970s America.
Our Methodology
Demographics
All Voters
Sample Size
49,800
Geographical Breakdown
National
Time Period
14 Days
MIG Reports leverages EyesOver technology, employing Advanced AI for precise analysis. This ensures unparalleled precision, setting a new standard. Find out more about the unique data pull for this article.
Voters are voicing their strong aversion to Kamala Harris’s economic policy proposals, particularly recent reports of her plans to implement retail food price controls. Many see historical alignment with price controls and their effects in communist and socialist countries
- Around 70% of conversations around Harris’s economic strategies express skepticism or strong opposition.
- More than 50% of discussions associate Harris’s policies with communist policies.
- On August 15, when Harris first floated price controls, public sentiment regarding ideologies dropped to a 14-day low of 40%.
- The top three keywords mentioned in the ideologies category are MAGA, communist, and socialism.
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Remarkably, the widespread negativity toward Harris’s proposed economic policies suggests Democrats also oppose them. Online discourse is typically divided by political alignment, with supporters being almost exclusively Democratic voters. For Harris on the economy, however, sentiment remains predominantly negative.
Many voters feel any proposed intervention to control prices will likely exacerbate inflation rather than alleviate it, MIG Reports data shows. They worry about creating shortages and further complicating supply chains already strained by inflation. People cite the fact that grocery stores already operate on staggeringly thin profit margins, raising the potential for putting retailers out of business.
Last year, Walmart made $15.51 billion on sales of $648.13 billion. That's a profit margin of 2.4%. I'm not sure that's price gouging.
— Eddy Elfenbein (@EddyElfenbein) August 16, 2024
Accusations of communism come from those citing countries like Venezuela and the former Soviet Union. They explain how "price fixing" is a fundamental tenet of communism and has strained food producers, leading to shortages. This increases an already pervasive fear of governmental overreach into the economy.
Negativity on All of Harris’s Economic Policies
Many voters also mention Harris’s proposal for $25,000 grants for first-time homebuyers. They say the plan would exacerbate economic inequality rather than alleviate it. Critics assert these measures underpin a broader social agenda that will eventually lead to increased taxes and a strain on the middle class.
Overall, voters perceive that Harris’s policies are all but nonexistent—except for her unrestrained and heavy-handed economic interventions. They criticize her proposed price controls, housing subsidies, and more recent reports of corporate, capital gains, and unrealized gains tax hikes.
Kamala's policies so far
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) August 20, 2024
Price Controls
28% corporate tax
44.6% capital gains tax
25% tax on unrealized gains
Only a small share of voices express optimism about the potential impact of Harris’s economic agenda. Democratic supporters frame Harris’s plans as necessary regulatory measures aimed at alleviating economic burdens on consumers. However, this group often makes arguments for Harris out of passion for social justice, opposition to Trump, and admiration for the Vice President, rather than specifically favoring her economic policy proposals.
Historical Examples
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There is a loud and pervasive sentiment linking Harris’s proposed price controls to historical economic failures. Many voters draw parallels between Harris's platform and past attempts at price controls which resulted in shortages and systemic issues.
People discuss the results of communism in Venezuela and reference other historical instances of failed economic policies. While the Harris campaign frames her policies as holding greedy corporations accountable, most voters view them as "price controls." Those citing historical examples like Venezuela say price controls lead to choked food supply and market instability.
In 2013 Maduro became president and implemented price controls to combat Venezuelan corporate greed.
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) August 15, 2024
Guess what happened to inflation? pic.twitter.com/CU00rRC5HO
Even CNN and the Washington Post referred to Harris’s proposed polices as leaning communist.
🚨🚨🚨 MUST WATCH 🚨🚨🚨
— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) August 16, 2024
CNN just DESTROYED Kamala Harris' economic agenda.
"We‘ve seen this kind of thing tried in lots of other countries before. Venezuela, Argentina, the Soviet Union...it leads to shortages" and would "cause a lot of harm." pic.twitter.com/pFEMYDjpN0
Washington Post just DESTROYED Kamala pic.twitter.com/XuoshbAU2m
— aka (@akafacehots) August 15, 2024
Voters express a strong belief that government spending exacerbates inflation. This sentiment is woven with a sense of betrayal, with users framing Harris and Democrats as out of touch with or actively antagonistic to the plight of citizens struggling under rising costs.
Discussions regularly link Harris to wider fears of governmental control and loss of market freedom. The historical comparisons include references to the Soviet Union, Cuba, and 1970s America with Nixon’s price controls which led to notable economic distortion.
People increasingly attribute economic strife to Harris personally—despite her campaign’s attempts to distance Harris from the current Biden administration. There are references to her deciding vote on the Inflation Reduction Act, with assertions that her policies directly correlate with the current economic challenges.
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Views of Harris
Americans are very skeptical about whether Harris's policies will address the underlying issues driving inflation. There is a prevailing view that her intent is to mask the problem rather than tackle its root causes. They say systemic spending is intended to increase inflation and strain supply chains to increase government control.
People share personal anecdotes about the economic strains they face, particularly relating to high food and fuel prices. Statistics about rising living costs generate additional outrage, as people grapple with their financial realities, for which they blame Harris.
There are accusations that Harris is attempting to shift blame for ongoing inflation onto corporations rather than accepting accountability. People also attack her for shifting blame onto Biden and distancing herself from the administration—despite being the current vice president.
Accusations of her policies aligning with socialist tendencies further energize criticism, framing the discussion in a broader binary of capitalism versus socialism. This feeds into the overall narrative of Harris being a far-left left progressive who indulges in vices and is both incompetent and unfit.
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