Today's Poll Question: Which is more politically potent...democratic socialism or charges of "communism"?

**Michael Smerconish** (0:00)
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**SPEAKER_2** (0:34)
Get ready to vote on today's daily poll question at smerconish.com.

**SPEAKER_3** (0:38)
But first, Michael explains it for you right here.

**SPEAKER_2** (0:41)
Welcome to The Smerconish Podcast from SiriusXM for Independent Minds.

**Michael Smerconish** (0:47)
Hey gang, today is Wednesday. It's the 8th of July, 2026 Thanks for being dialed into the poll podcast. If you've signed up for my newsletter, you're going to see the lead story today pertains to Iran, right? The process, the memorandum of understanding is over. The president says that the talks will continue, but the Iranians are scum and a tit for tat has now ensued in terms of us striking Iran, Iran striking proxies, etc. Point is, I'll talk about it on air today. I have that story.
But I want to call your attention to the note that I penned for today's newsletter because it pertains to reading. In fact, I say thank you for reading the newsletter and thank you for reading in general. And the subject matter is reading because on today's radio program, and it'll be in the second hour, Rose Horowitz is going to join me from The Atlantic. The Atlantic just published their August issue. She wrote the cover story, and the cover story is all about the decline of reading and how we have entered what she describes as a post-literate phase. Consider some of the numbers. Fewer than half of American adults read a book of any kind.
The share of reading for pleasure on any given day has fallen to 16%.
That's across all demographics. And while we might actually be reading more words than ever, they are texts and they are e-mails. They are not books. And so what we're sacrificing is the training of observation, of argumentation, of analysis. And there's a political aspect of this as well, because politicians who can master the way that we are now consuming information, meaning they can speak in sentence fragments and sound bites, sound familiar? They are the ones who get traction.
So Horowitz isn't predicting mass illiteracy, but something more subtle is worrying her. A society with diminished cognitive skills, a less rational and analytical mode of thought. And I know many of you might be hearing this and saying, well, wait a minute, there's a Barnes and Noble that just opened up in my town. Yeah, text is thriving for some, but it's a dwindling few. In fact, probably as a POTUS subscriber, as someone who listens to my podcast, you probably are one of them, but that's not the norm and it's of concern. So hope you'll be listening to that. Today's poll question, which is more politically potent, Democratic Socialism or Charges of Communism?

**SPEAKER_2** (3:36)
This is the Smerconish Podcast from SiriusXM.

**Michael Smerconish** (3:40)
We're down to eight.
How about Argentina? Holy smokes. Three goals in 13 minutes. Three goals in 13 minutes. Argentina and Switzerland both advanced Argentina with that dramatic victory over Egypt. I gotta say, cause I'm rooting for the minnows, I was pulling for Egypt, but I was just blown away by it. And so here's where we stand. Tomorrow, Thursday, 4 p.m. Eastern Time, France and Morocco, Friday, Spain and Belgium at 3 p.m. Saturday at 5, this is the one I'm waiting for, Norway and England. Saturday night, Argentina and Switzerland. Live betting on World Soccer is better at Betparks, the Betparks Online Sportsbook and Casino app. Join me, have skin in the game, get in on the action. The Betparks Online Casino and Sportsbook app, the only that I ever use and recommend. They've got a special World Soccer Hub right in the app with odds boost plus team and player props for all the World Soccer matches. And you know which ones I'm talking about. New customers can get up to $500 Casino bonus back and $500 bonus spins on the new soccer-themed online slot game. It's called Goal Goal Goal Collect them. So bet on your favorite teams and players from around the globe and also enjoy the classic casino games, blackjack, poker, roulette, wherever you might be during the summer. Join me, Betparks Online Casino and Sportsbook app. Terms and conditions are at betparks.com. You got to be 21 and in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland or Michigan. Casino bonus has to be wagered gambling problem call 1-800-GAMBLER.