Because rhetoric has nothing to do with truth. We soaked generations of Americans in the idea that 'socialism' = 'communism' = 'Russia' and 'China' = 'The Bad Guys'. That creates emotional responses on part of a large segment of the population whenever you assert something is "socialist" and good luck trying to reason with someone in the middle of an emotional response.
So convincing the voting public that something is "socialism" skews public support, and thereby the inevitable compromise, more toward your private benefactors.
The disconnect between rhetoric and objective reality is how we've managed to create a society where people at Tea Party rallies can emphatically demand that the very government that can do no right and needs to be largely dismantled in their eyes, needs to leave their social security, medicare and military alone.
So convincing the voting public that something is "socialism" skews public support, and thereby the inevitable compromise, more toward your private benefactors.
The disconnect between rhetoric and objective reality is how we've managed to create a society where people at Tea Party rallies can emphatically demand that the very government that can do no right and needs to be largely dismantled in their eyes, needs to leave their social security, medicare and military alone.