Word: populistic
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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With widespread rumors of an imminent coup, the Peruvian military has published several statements promising to "respect democracy"; a once-popular, supposedly populist President Garcia has nevertheless sent his wife and children out of the country. Peru's United Left party now has an excellent chance of winning the 1990 elections--if these elections are held...
Bentsen also pressed the hot populist buttons that ignite Democratic voters. He played on nationalist sentiments by criticizing the trade practices of foreign countries and by ominously warning of their taking over American businesses. He raised the specter that Republicans are out to slash Social Security -- never acknowledging that he, like Bush and Quayle, had voted for a freeze in cost of living increases. And dusting off a line he had used at the convention, Bentsen articulated the Democratic case against the apparent success of the U.S. economy: "You know, if you let me write $200 billion worth...
...fact, much of what Dukakis has been doing lately on the campaign trail has been an attempt to counter the I'm-more-of-a-populist attacks Bush has levelled against him. This includes everything from trying to list all the other states that have prison furlough systems ("I'm not outside the American political mainstream") to riding around in an M-1 tank...
Clearly, Dukakis cannot win a Reagan-Carter or Reagan-Mondale rematch. But this does not need to be the essence of the election. Dukakis can salvage his campaign by launching a "populist counter-attack;" Bush is more vulnerable to this than is at first evident...
...short, Dukakis, must start arraigning Bush. As someone challenging a fairly popular status quo, the burden of proof is on him to show us the "Why?" behind the imperative, "Change." He cannot do this if he is constantly on the defensive. Put George Bush on the stand; seize the "populist initiative." This has to be Dukakis' gameplan through November or else he will lose as surely as Mondale did in '84 and Carter did in '80. Sunday night's debate will be Dukakis' best chance to get back on the offensive...