Bernie Sanders challenges NBC moderator over question about unfavorable poll on socialism: 'Who was winning?' foxnews.com

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., defended his label of being a Democratic socialist on Wednesday night at the Democratic debate in Nevada.

Sanders has been enjoying a surge in the polls in recent weeks, including an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll released Tuesday that shows the Vermont senator with a double-digit lead — 27 percent of support, which is well ahead of former Vice President Joe Biden and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who earned just 15 and 14 percent, respectively.

However, in that same poll, a combined 67 percent of voters say they "have reservations or are very uncomfortable" with a socialist candidate.