Billy Wharton

{{Short description|American democratic socialist activist and former co-chair of the Socialist Party USA}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2014}}

{{BLP sources|date=March 2013}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Billy Wharton

|image =

|caption =

|alma_mater =

|birthname =

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1969|5|5|mf=yes}}

|birth_place = Pelham Bay, The Bronx, New York City, United States

|death_date =

|death_place =

|office = National Co-Chair of the Socialist Party USA

|alongside = {{List collapsed|title=See list|1=Andrea Pason (2009-2011)
Stephanie Cholensky (2011-2013)}}

|vicepresident =

|term_start = October 10, 2009

|term_end =October 26, 2013

|predecessor = Jerry Levy

|successor = Mimi Soltysik

|residence =

|party = Unaffiliated

|otherparty = Socialist

|occupation = Adult 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."