Billy Wharton
National Co-Chair of the Socialist Party USA
In office
October 10, 2009  October 26, 2013
Serving with
See list
  • Andrea Pason (2009-2011)
    Stephanie Cholensky (2011-2013)
Preceded byJerry Levy
Succeeded byMimi Soltysik
Personal details
Born (1969-05-05) May 5, 1969
Pelham Bay, The Bronx, New York City, United States
Political partyUnaffiliated
Other political
affiliations
Socialist
OccupationAdult educator, political writer, activist

Billy Wharton (born May 5, 1969) is an adult educator, American democratic socialist activist and former co-chair of the Socialist Party USA. Wharton is best known for his March 15, 2009 article entitled "Obama's No Socialist. I Should Know." In it, he sought to debunk right-wing commentators who claimed that President Barack Obama was a secret socialist. Wharton wrote: "The funny thing is, of course, that socialists know that Barack Obama is not one of us. Not only is he not a socialist, he may in fact not even be a liberal. Socialists understand him more as a hedge-fund Democrat."

The article led to increased media attention that resulted in multiple appearances on Fox Business News and a series of radio interviews including a segment on the CBC. Since then, Wharton's articles have consistently been published in on-line left-wing publications such as "Counterpunch," the "MRZine," "Dissident Voice," "In These Times," "Counter Currents" and "The Indypendent."


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