The original Populists would probably warm up to Sanders, even if their constituents in places like rural Kansas and Georgia might be puzzled to hear familiar rhetoric spoken by an elderly Jew with a Brooklyn accent. The Populists’ 1892 platform thundered: “The fruits of the toil of millions are boldly stolen to build up colossal fortunes for a few.” Sanders similarly attacks “the billionaire class,” whose supposed grip on the state has led to “an enormous transfer of wealth from the middle class and the poor to the wealthiest people in this country.”
This blog continues the discussion we began with Epic Journey: The 2008 Elections and American Politics (Rowman and Littlefield, 2009).The next book in this series is The Comeback: the 2024 Elections and American Politics (Bloomsbury, 2025).
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Sanders Populism
Many posts have discussed populism. Michael Kazin writes at The New York Times Magazine: