BONUS POD: Capitalism vs. Socialism in the 2026 Voter Mindset

Summary

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Podcast Summary: BONUS POD – Capitalism vs. Socialism in the 2026 Voter Mindset

Verdict with Ted Cruz | Premiere Networks
Date: March 10, 2026
Hosts: Ben Ferguson
Duration: ~15 mins ([core content: 03:08–14:51])

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Main Theme & Purpose

This bonus episode dives deep into the results and implications of a recent Fox News poll that shows record-high support among Americans for shifting away from capitalism and towards socialism. Ben Ferguson unpacks the roots of these changes, the role of left-wing politicians, and the strategies used to sway voter perceptions—presenting an unapologetically conservative perspective on what this trend means for America in 2026, especially with the upcoming elections.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Shocking Poll Results: Rising Support for Socialism

• Timestamps: 05:43 – 07:30

• Ben Ferguson highlights a Fox News survey where 38% of voters say it would be a good thing for the U.S. to move away from capitalism and towards socialism—an all-time high.

• Only 61% view socialism negatively, and voters are split on how well capitalism works: 51% say capitalism is working well, 49% say the opposite.

  “38% of voters said it would be a good thing for the US to move away from capitalism and towards socialism. How do we overcome that? How do you think we got that?”
  — Ben Ferguson (05:45)

2. The Left's Playbook: Blaming the System

• The Left, according to Ferguson, has convinced many that the system is rigged against them, fueling anger and resentment among lower-income Americans.

• He draws a personal parallel, sharing stories about friends who blame their circumstances on the system rather than personal choices or work ethic.

  “There’s a jealousy. And then you have politicians come around, they’re like, ‘Hey, there’s enough of you guys are angry and jealous that I can convince you that you’re not failing, but the system is against you and rigged against you. And it’s not your fault…’”
  — Ben Ferguson (07:50)

3. Personal Anecdotes: Work Ethic & Responsibility

• Ferguson contrasts his own work ethic (paying for college, working 60 hours/week) with acquaintances who prioritized leisure and blamed external factors for their setbacks.

• He argues this mindset shift is stoked by progressive leaders to grow support for socialism.

  “There’s a difference between my work ethic and your work ethic. Like, a very, very big difference. And now you’re mad, and you become a liberal because you somehow think that the system’s against you and rigged. No, it’s because you didn’t work hard.”
  — Ben Ferguson (09:37)

4. The Democratic Party’s Strategy: Dependency and Control

• Ferguson claims that Democratic policies deliberately keep people dependent through social programs (welfare, healthcare, subsidized housing), poor education, and perpetual government aid.

• These policies, he suggests, are designed to maintain voter loyalty and prevent upward mobility.

  “It’s modern day slavery, right? Like, I’ll feed you, but I’m not going to help you get out of poverty, because if I help you get out of poverty, then you don’t need me anymore.”
  — Ben Ferguson (10:50)

• He credits Trump's first term with record-low minority unemployment, attributing Democratic impeachment efforts and support for immigration to fears of losing minority voter bases.

5. The Education Crisis in Democrat-Led Cities

• Urban public education quality is described as deliberately poor, trapping the next generation in poverty and dependency.

  “The level of Democrat cities’ education quality level, it is failing virtually nationwide… I think it’s designed deliberately because if kids are uneducated then they are going to end up depending on them, the Democratic Party for survival after they fail in school.”
  — Ben Ferguson (12:38)

• Improvement in education and upward mobility, he claims, correlates with a tendency to become more conservative.

6. Social Welfare as Political Leverage

• Programs like Obamacare and other social safety nets are portrayed as tools to ensure Democratic voter loyalty out of necessity rather than genuine support.

  “…it was a way to, I would say, in chain Democratic voters to them, you can’t vote against me, you need that healthcare. Without me, you're screwed…”
  — Ben Ferguson (13:33)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On socialism support:
  “38% of voters said it would be a good thing for the US to move away from capitalism and towards socialism.”
  — Ben Ferguson (05:45)

• On personal responsibility:
  “There’s a difference between my work ethic and your work ethic. ... Now you’re mad and you become a liberal because you somehow think that the system’s against you and rigged. No, it’s because you didn’t work hard.”
  — Ben Ferguson (09:37)

• On Democratic strategy:
  “It’s modern day slavery... If I help you get out of poverty, then you don’t need me anymore.”
  — Ben Ferguson (10:50)

• On education as control:
  “If you empower a kid to be smart and get a great education... the chances that child at some point in their life becomes Republican are very high.”
  — Ben Ferguson (12:56)

• On social programs:
  “…you can’t vote against me, you need that healthcare, right? Like you can’t vote against me, you need that. And without me you’re screwed, right?”
  — Ben Ferguson (13:33)

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Timeline of Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:08–05:43| Show opens, announcement of new shock poll results and context introduction | | 05:43–07:30| Discussion of Fox News poll on capitalism/socialism and voter perceptions | | 07:30–10:20| Analysis of causes: The Left’s tactics, personal anecdote about work ethic | | 10:20–12:38| How Democratic policies create dependence; Trump’s economic impact | | 12:38–13:38| Education crisis in Democrat-led cities and its political consequences | | 13:39–14:51| Social welfare programs as voter control, final reflections |

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Overall Tone and Conclusion

Ben Ferguson’s commentary is passionate, direct, and unapologetically conservative, expressing deep concern for the rise in support for socialism and largely blaming left-wing politicians for stoking resentment and fostering dependency. His argument draws from both data (the Fox News poll) and personal anecdotes, wrapping the episode with a call for personal responsibility and renewed vigilance for the defense of capitalism in the upcoming elections.

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Transcript

[Ben Ferguson]

This is an iHeart podcast.

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[Ben Ferguson]

A lot of people have said about the, you know, accusing the President of somehow flip flopping on what the standards are here. But unconditional surrender? Look, they have no navy. They've lost their space command. They've lost their ability to find 12 digit grids. So naturally they're still firing drones and missiles. Unconditional surrender means that all, all those weapons systems are taken away. That command stands down.

[Podcast Host]

You're listening to 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson.

[Ben Ferguson]

Good Tuesday morning. Nice to have you with us on the 47 Morning Update. And we've got one big story for you. There's a new shocking poll that has come out showing that more than 30% of Americans say they support the United States moving towards socialism and getting rid of democracy. How did we get to this point? And how much are Democrats spending to convince Americans that we need to trash democracy? This year marks a critical moment for our country as the opposition grows more aggressive and unapologetic. The fight now reaches into the everyday decisions we make. Patriot Mobile has been standing on the front lines fighting for freedom for more than 12 years. They don't just deliver top tier wireless service. They are activists like me who truly care about our country. Patriot Mobile offers prioritized premium access on all three major US Networks, giving you the same or better coverage than the main carriers do. That means fast speeds and dependable nationwide coverage backed by 100% US based customer support. They also offer unlimited data plans, mobile hotspots, international roaming and more. With simple seamless activation, you can switch in minutes. You can keep your same number and keep your phone or upgrade. And here's the difference. When you switch to Patriot Mobile, you'll be part of a powerful stream of giving that directly funds the Christian conservative movement. So take a stand today with every call you make. Go to patriotmobile.com ben47 or call 972-patriot. And when you use the promo code BEN47, you'll get a free month of service. So don't wait. Make a difference now. Patriotmobile.comBen47 or call 972 Patriot. That's 972 Patriot promo code Ben47. It's the 47 Morning Update and it starts right now.

[Podcast Host]

Story number one, there's a new Fox

[Ben Ferguson]

News survey that finds that 38% of voters say it would be good thing, it would be a good thing for the US to move away from capitalism and towards socialism. That's an all time high. 61% view socialism negatively. Did you hear me? 38% of voters said they would be a good thing for the US to move away from capitalism and towards socialism. How do we overcome that? How do you think we got that? I mean, excuse me, not 37. 38% of voters say it would be a good thing for the US to move away from capitalism and towards socialism. 61% view socialism negative. But you still have a large number. And by the way, the shift, they say may be divided views on capitalism itself. As voters are split over whether capitalism in the United States is working well, 51% say it's working very or somewhat well. But nearly as many. This would be your Left, your Dems, 49% say it's working not very or not at all well. That can explain to you the rise of Mandani, for example, right? And AOCs like they have, they have gone under the core belief and the core like point and the attack that and the obsession that America is somehow evil in its existence and that capitalism is the drug that is evil in America and that if we were all just somehow the same. Because part of this is the left knows that a lot of their voters are poor and they want to convince them that the system's working against them, right? Not for them. And so they're like, hey, help us take from the rich. This is the Robin man like syndrome as I call it, where you get a lot of people that do great because they work their AWS's off and you have a lot of people that don't. And then they're like, well, I want what they have, but they're not want to do the work or study hard or go to school or whatever it may be. And so there's a jealousy. And then you have politicians come around, they like, they're like, hey, there's enough of you guys are angry and jealous that I can convince you that you're not failing, but the system is against you and rigged against you. And it's not your fault you didn't go to college. It's not your fault that you're a pothead. It's not your fault that you're a drug addict. It's not your fault that you're just lazy. I mean, I. Look, I see this in Life now. I'm 44, Justin. And, like, it's very interesting now how many people in my 40s that I used to be friends with will actually, like, come after me on social media. Like, not call me, not text me, but will attack me because they are, I guess, frustrated that I'm successful. And they're like, well, you don't understand. The working man, the hard man. I'm like, dude, I work my tail off. Like, while you were trying to get one of them, we had one of those pretty blunt conversations one day, and I said to him, I was like. He was like, you know, well, you don't understand what it's like to struggle. I'm like, I do. That's why I work so hard. And we both came from the same place. We both didn't grow up on third base or second base or on first base, okay? Like, you and I both knew we need to pay. We were gonna have to pay for college. You and I both knew that we were gonna have to get there on a college scholarship if we were going to go. And the difference between you and I is I was out there busting my tail, working 60 hours a week teaching tennis in the summer while you were trying to get your beer plate on the wall at Flying Saucer. And if you know what Flying Saucer is, it's a beer house. They have, like, X number of brews on tap. It's insane. Like, over a hundred. And if you drink every beer and you can't, and it's like, there's rules on it, like, so that you have to come back every week so you don't just, you know, get belligerently drunk, but you can get a plate with your name on the wall. And I'm like, dude, that was your biggest accomplishment in your 20s was, like, getting your beer plate on the wall at Flying Saucer. There's a difference between my work ethic and your work ethic. Like, a very, very big difference. And now you're mad and you become a liberal because you somehow think that, like, the system's against you and rigged. No, it's because you didn't work hard. You've got multiple mug shots for being an idiot, like not committing major crimes, like just being, like, just doing stupid stuff like a dui. And so that has hindered you as well in your development. Like, you, you made some stupid decisions, being arrogant with people you worked with, and you got fired from jobs because of insubordination. That again. And some of that came back to the drinking issues. Like, like this is. There is a real interesting moment happening here in this country. Whereas the left is saying to people like that, hey, it's somehow the system that screwed you. And that's why you're making all these bad decisions. And that's where The Mandanis and AOCs and all these liberal mayors in different liberal cities like Memphis and New Orleans and Detroit and Baltimore come in, because they figured out that there's enough lazy people that they can get to vote for them if they just give them free stuff. It's modern day slavery, right? Like, I'll feed you, but I'm not going to help you get out of poverty, because if I help you get out of poverty, then you don't need me anymore. One of the biggest reasons why the Democratic Party tried to destroy Donald Trump through impeachment in 2016-2017-2018-2019, is because they understood the threat that Donald Trump was to the minority voters. Why do you think the Democrats let so many illegal immigrants into this country? Because Donald Trump had completely decimated the Democratic Party's control of the African American community. And you had African American unemployment rates at the lowest in history. When Donald Trump was president in his first term, you had the lowest unemployment rate for African Americans, Asian Americans and Latinos. And so what the Democratic Party realized was, if this keeps up, and thank goodness Covid came in for them, it saved them politically in many ways, because Covid really, as you know, hurt the economy in a major way. And that stopped a lot of the Trump, like, MAGA movement. And I think in many ways cost Trump his presidency, his first time, because of what happened with COVID And it just shut down the whole country. And that was the gift to the Democratic Party. But the Democratic Party was losing their base because what Donald Trump said was, I don't want you to live in poverty your whole life. I don't want you to live on food stamps your whole life. I want to empower you to pay for your own stuff, but not because I'm like, don't want to give you help. It's because I want you to live a better life. I don't want you to live in government Housing. I don't want you to be in a HUD house your whole life. I don't want you to have to depend on handouts to survive. I want you to be able to get your kids in a good school, not a failing school. And one of the ways that Democrats keep Americans down is by giving their kids horrific educational quality. Horrific educational quality. The level of Democrat cities education quality level, it is failing virtually nationwide in every school district in a major city where Democrats control it. And the question is why? I think it's designed deliberately because if kids are uneducated then they are going to end up depending on them, the Democratic Party for survival after they fail in school. If you empower a kid to be smart and get a great education, okay, like. If you have a child succeed and get on their own, the chances that child at some point in their life becomes Republican are very high. And the Democratic party understands that if you empower, if these kids grow up and we don't own them in poverty and own them because of their failures, that we've created an environment for them to fail with failing schools then that is self fulfilling prophecy. Like, okay, they'll vote for us and their kids will vote for us and they'll never get out of the ghetto and they'll always need us for their food and for their lights and their heat and their HUD housing and their, and their government aid and their government health care, right? Like that's one of the reasons why Obamacare was so important to the Democratic Party because it was a way to, I would say in chain Democratic voters to them, you can't vote against me, you need that healthcare, right? Like you can't vote against me, you need that. And without me you're screwed, right? Like without me you're in deep trouble. Without me you've got serious, serious, serious problems. And so that's why they keep voting for them. That's just what happens here.

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Thank you for listening to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson. Please make sure you hit subscribe wherever you're listening to this podcast right now. And for more in depth news, also subscribe to the Ben Ferguson Podcast and we will see you back here tomorrow. Flag football is exploding and IFLAG is leading the way as the Guinness World Record holder. Iflag hosts the premier flag football tournaments nationwide for boys, girls, high school girls and adults. From first time players to elite competitors, iflag delivers top level competition, unforgettable experiences and a community built around the game. Ready to be part of it. Join the movement. Find your tournament and learn [e-mail] that's

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[Ben Ferguson]

So good.

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[Ben Ferguson]

I got it. No, I got it. Seriously.

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hey, it's bobby Bones. You know, Eddie and I recently stopped by. Yeah, in Nashville. It's an incredible nonprofit empowering kids through music education. Thanks to Hyundai. We recorded a special podcast episode while we were there.

[Ben Ferguson]

How do you think learning an instrument helps kids with confidence?

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Learning an instrument allows them to discover a little bit further of who they are and be comfortable with it and then share a little bit about that with others. And if it's done in an environment

[Ben Ferguson]

that is celebrating and championing them, then

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that confidence can only go up the

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full episode is out now. Presented by the Hyundai Ioniq 9. To donate and learn more about yeah's mission, just visit yahrocks.org.