IS DONALD TRUMP A POPULIST?

By Edwin Cooney

Those who have come to love and respect Donald Trump because of his willingness to propose radical changes to government policy insist that he's merely in the tradition of late 19th and early 20th century social reformers or populists in the tradition of such leaders as Wisconsin Senator Robert La Follette, four time Cleveland Ohio Mayor Tom Johnson, William Jennings Bryan and perhaps Clarence Darrow who was called "the attorney for the damned.” However, the examples of the above are precisely what Mr. Trump is not!

America's populist movement occurred in the late 18th and early 19th centuries between 1885 and 1915. It was led by women and men determined to alter the relationship between the public and their government to the overall advantage of the people.

The cornerstone of populism was the legislative initiative, the power of political referendum and even the privilege of the removal of some public officials. The cry was for public “initiative, referendum and recall.” Twice while I lived in California, between 1979 and 2013, voters invoked their capacity for initiative, referendum and recall.

The first time was in 1983 when some San Franciscans sought to recall Mayor Diane Feinstein over her veto of city employee benefits to gay domestic partners Their initiative against Mayor Feinstein badly missed its mark!

The second time was in 2003 when Governor Gray Davis was recalled due to unresolvable budget, social and energy differences. Arnold Schwarzenegger was the result of that 2003 recall.

Although FDR hasn't been considered a populist by historians and political science academicians, several laws passed via FDR were populist in nature. They include the establishment of the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1933 because it established a government corporation that competed with private enterprise, creation of the Securities and Exchange Commission because it regulated banking and trade through the government, and the adoption of Social Security in 1935 because it established government pensions thus changing the reliance of retired workers from private to government pensions.

Keep in mind that not all populist reforms are progressive. Prohibition was a populist movement that altered the relationship between the government and the people.

Angry or resentful presidents, governors or mayors may reject or institute a new policy issue, but in order to be populistic, one must introduce a structural process in a way that alters government's interaction with people which previously didn't exist. Farmers, factory laborers, miners, and some social minorities were affected by the populist movement. Populist leaders included Teddy Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. Despite TR's New Nationalism and Wilson's New Freedom during the 1912 campaign, both were regarded as populists regardless of their Republican and Democratic Party affiliations.

Although former President Trump may be exceedingly popular, his social programs and policies lack much coordination or widespread national support. Another difference between Mr. Trump and most populist leaders is that government solutions were front and center to their method of problem solving.

Hence, Mr. Trump can't, by this observer, be considered a populist — not even close! The ultimate question then is obvious: can Donald Trump be elected?

Unfortunately, of course he can. Just ask Hillary Clinton!

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,

EDWIN COONEY