I don't think there is much meaning to the McPalin use of the term "socialism," in the context of Bush nationalizing banks.

That having been said, I think the reason the term "socialism" replaces the previous scare word "liberal" is both because liberalism no longer looks so scary after Bushism, and also because the McCain campaign strategist were trying to drag the center line in American politics to somewhere between McCain & Palin, redefining American centrism as radicalism. This is nonsense and it hasn't worked. But I think that's what they were trying to do.

In terms of the _current election_, it doesn't really matter if in ancient times, the Republicans were good or bad for the stock market. This ain't Your Daddy's Republican Party, the one that used to care about things like budget deficits and such, anyway. This is the Wild New Republican Party that wants to fight two or three wars at at time, build lots of nuclear power plants, employ people to hassle travellers enmass, aationalize the banks, and radically cut taxes all at once.

I don't think the Obama campaign needs Tommy McCall's infographic to get across that in _this_ election, Democrats are a better economic choice.