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Doug Israel's avatar

Rather than radicals I see them as populist demagogues. This has been a thread in American politics since the days of Andrew Jackson. Rarely have the demagogues gained power. Generally the more temperate candidate has won. But some president's, mainly Democrats, have used a modified populist pitch successfully. Mainly FDR and Truman who railed against the corporations. Nixon created the modern politics of resentment in 1968. Carter abused populist to an extraordinary degree to get elected in 1976 by pretending he was a simple peanut farmer who had no experience in Washington. Democrats ever since have railed against corporations and millionaires even when their own ranks are swelled with them. Even Biden who was a first class career drifter tried to do this. Trump as you note, is a faux populist and basically just a bs artist who caught a zeitgeist. Unfortunately his real reform instincts that could do tremendous good are being undermined by his own foolishness and his insistence on tying his movement to right wi g demagogues. All his proposed reforms are pretty good but if he has even attempted to present a bill to the legislative branch to attempt to pass laws I must have missed it. It's very unfortunate because it means the ever increasingly radical Democratic party is going to regain power.

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Richard Vigilante's avatar

And both are headed for a crack up

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