The Meaning of The Populist & Populism

"A "populist" is a political figure or movement that claims to represent the interests of the ordinary people against a corrupt or out-of-touch elite. Populist rhetoric often divides society into "the people" and "the elite," positions itself as a champion of the former, and can appear on both the left and right of the political spectrum. While it can rally disillusioned voters and be a democratic force, it is also frequently associated with anti-establishment sentiment and can be seen as a political insult. 

Key characteristics of populism

"The people" versus "the elite": At its core, populism posits a division between a virtuous, unified "people" and a corrupt, self-serving "elite".

Representation of "the people": Populist leaders claim to be the sole legitimate representatives of the will of the people, often in contrast to mainstream political parties and institutions.

Anti-establishment sentiment: Populism often reflects a deep distrust of the established political, media, and financial institutions.

Appeals to emotion and identity: It frequently relies on emotional appeals and can be nativist or xenophobic, especially on the right.

Political spectrum: Populism can exist on both the left and right of the political spectrum, with left-wing populists focusing on economic inequality and right-wing populists often emphasizing cultural or national identity" 

Source:PA Times We The People.

You can find all this on  Google

So over the last 6 weeks or so, especially during the government shutdown, I've had some time to think about this myself. If you are familiar with my blogging and The New Democrat in general, you certainly sense we are Democrats. But I seriously doubt that any mainstream Republican (like a Conservative, for example) would say that I or TND are overly partisan. 

We don't hate Republicans. We certainly dislike people who are registered Republicans, but who don't act or talk like Republicans. (Like MAGA, for example) We sure as hell don't hate, or even dislike Conservatives. We post a lot of their material on this blog. We had a post from Adam Kinzinger, just last week. And as hard as this might be to believe (sort of like seeing people flying around on flying rugs) Liberals and Conservatives actually have a lot in common. The difference is really about Conservatives believe in conserving and Liberals believe in moving forward. 

My point here is, I've been a registered Democrat since 1998, when I voted for the first time as a 22 year old. Like a lot of other Gen-Xers, I was a big fan of Bill Clinton and that's why I became a Democrat. And I've been blogging since 2009. But I lean more on the independent side when it comes to my own commentary and what I say on social media. I believe in what's best for the country, what's. best for people who are just trying to get ahead, who are perhaps struggling. Not what's best for the Democratic Party, or any other political party.

As I copy and pasted from Google: "Populism can appear on both the left and right of the political spectrum...

The point there is that populism in of itself, is not a political philosophy. Just like nationalism is not a political philosophy. This is not populism versus liberalism, or conservatism, libertarianism, or socialism, communism, etc. It's populism versus people who think that the powerful and the elite knows what's best for everyone else and therefor should be in charge of society, perhaps even the people themselves. How Populists vs the Oligarchs. (If you want a shorter and more simple comparison)

This is not about class warfare either. I believe in education, I love wealth. I think those things should be encouraged and supported and that more Americans should have the opportunities to be successful and be in complete control of their own personal destiny as well. This is more about the wealthy and highly educated, not being so powerful, that they get to make all the key decisions about the future of the country and the people. While ordinary Americans are not just left out even in the decision making and central planning, but left behind as well. 

When I think of populists, I don't think of people who rarely if ever had to even drive themselves around, let alone go to a grocery store to buy groceries. And then claim that they are a populist when they run for President of the United States. And we just don't have many politicians who fit at least my definition of a populist. Because American politics is so much about "what's in it for me and how do I advance my own political career", instead of what's in the best interest of the country... what would do the most good for the most people, regardless of which party or politician it might be good for or hurt. 

I have a lot of respect for the Kennedy Family and the Kennedy School at Harvard. But for someone to win a Profile in Courage award from them... a Democrat voting to reopen the government, or a Republican voting for the release of the Epstein files in Congress, might be all that it would take to win that award today. Which is sort of like winning a ballgame by forfeit. (There was simply no one else even available to give that award too) 

Not many Liz Cheney's left in American politics who are simply willing to give up their political careers, to stand up to a man, the leader of her own party... because she sees that man as wannabe dictator, strongman, who is bad for America. And she cares a lot more about her country, then any 1 political party. 

When I think of a populist, I think of someone who might not come from a deep poor, rural, or run down community in an inner city or someplace, where just getting enough food to eat when they were growing up and getting a decent education was a real struggle for them. But I do think of people who come from average means. Maybe the child of military personal, or a cop, factory workers... perhaps they were the first person in their family to get a college education and work a job, maybe 2 jobs, just to support themselves while they were in college. 

Someone who comes from average means, who has never forgotten their own upbringing, but who has made it by working really hard and being really good at what they do. Who has taken advantage of every opportunity that has come their way. Maybe someone, like a mentor, who saw a real talent in them and encouraged them to explore it and see what they can do with it. 

The populist is someone who fights for average people, because those are their people. Those are the communities that they come from. The old expression "they never forgot where they came from"... to me that's a real populist in America. Whether that person is a Liberal, (such as myself), or a Conservative, or a Socialist, Libertarian, etc. 

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