Word: populists
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...questioning Dukakis' patriotism, Bush has attacked both Dukakis' immigrant background and liberal philosophy. The first was a key component of Dukakis' populist "American Dream" theme which was originally so appealing to minority, underprivileged, and middle class voters. "Hey, this guy is one of us," they started to say. That is, until Bush began to suggest that Dukakis was not "one of us" precisely because he was too tied to his immigrant roots, as well as too tied to a liberal-academic ideology outside the political mainstream. Result? Dukakis has been much quieter on his immigrant background and ACLU membership...
That helps explain why Bush, rather than a right-wing populist of the original Reagan mold, will be making the acceptance speech on Thursday. By breeding and association, he is part of the Establishment that Reagan challenged in 1976 and defeated in 1980. But enough of Reagan's original agenda has been adopted to slake the most urgent thirsts of the right wing. The income-tax monster has been shrunk, the Democratic Congress is leery of huge new programs, the Viet Nam syndrome no longer paralyzes American foreign policy, and the federal judiciary has been Reaganized. "In this environment," says...
...fortune made, Bentsen returned to politics in 1970, taking on a fellow Democrat and populist icon, Senator Ralph Yarborough. With the help of the L.B.J.-Connally wing of the party, Bentsen won the primary in a brawl that was messy even by Texas standards. Bentsen linked Yarborough with antiwar demonstrations and ran commercials of the uproar outside the 1968 Democratic Convention to make his point. He labeled Senator Edmund Muskie, who came to campaign for Yarborough, an ultra-liberal. Yarborough kicked up dust as well, calling the Bentsens a family of land frauds and exploiters, a reference to lawsuits that...
This presidential campaign, unlike the one in 1960 or any other, has been marked by the exceptional showing and powerful populist appeal of Jackson, the first Black politician ever to do so well in the primaries. Jackson won over 7 million votes in the extended primary season that culminates this week at the Democratic convention in Atlanta--that showing, while not quite enough to outrun Dukakis for the nomination, is a historic one nonetheless...
...same day another former rival, Richard Gephardt, was auditioned. The Missouri Congressman, winner of the Iowa caucuses, has the most appeal to the blue-collar vote. Gephardt has corrected his early campaign deficiencies, developing a strong populist message, a compelling delivery, and eyebrows. But unless he is willing to put his $48,000 Hyundai on cinder blocks, it may be hard for him to reconcile his protectionist philosophy with Dukakis' belief in freer trade...