Don’t go easy on them, socialist is a progressive term; they are Marxists which is actually communists. Don’t play their game, let everyone know this is Marxism.
Oh contraire mon frere...(and I'm talking about the dumb RAT-voters here, not the criminal politicians)
"Socialist" cuts way too close to the truth for them, they hate being called that...besides, once I've struck a nerve with "socialist" I still have some ammo to "up the ante" with terms like "communist" and "Marxist".
Not to mention "Alinsky" and "radical".
They don't like talking to me, I tell them to look these terms up on the internet (as well as progressive, CPUSA, Agenda 21, etc) and next time I see them, I ask them if they did.