Reply #6: Right-Wing Populism [View All]

[rwenos]

Populism can (generally) be defined as the politics of the mass of the population -- the Great Middle, the 60% of voters in the middle.

I'm no historian, and would love to hear from someone who can sketch the history of Populism in the US and abroad over the last 100 years. But it seems to me that populist politicians like Harry Truman and Huey Long represent the Democratic (generally liberal) version of American political populism, and George Wallace (yes I know he was a Dem), Lester Maddox and George W. Bush represent the modern Republican, right-wing version.

The European right-wing populist? Obviously, Adolf Hitler. The Nazi Party played on people's prejudices and fears, but began with a populist appeal of economic development, good roads, public works and support for universal education. But how Hitler twisted it!

Any better definitions of Populism out there?

The point being, there's a lot of right-wing populism out there right now. Blue collar guys voting for Repubs. Watching NASCAR. Barbecuing at the church picnic.