Too many “independents” and “moderates” consider “socialism” to be name calling and waving the bloody shirt.
It could be softened with a simple question -
how is “spreading the wealth around” different from Socialism, Marxism, and Communism?
Because Communism is totalitarian?
Pray tell, how else will it be implemented?
It could be softened like that. But nobody ever gets ahead by following followers. And ‘indepentents’ and ‘moderates’ are followers.
If you lead, they will follow. If you let them lead, you go nowhere.