A Weblog of Centrist Voices in American Politics
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A Weblog of Centrist Voices in American Politics | |
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September 14, 2007Have Any Demagogues Reached The US Presidency?After rereading a bit about a war lost by a democracy electing two demagogues in a row (Cleon and Alcibiades, in the Peloponnesian War), now I'm wondering if our federal system has protected us against that. Clearly, we aren't protected against duffer mistakes. So, can you think of any demagogic Presidents? This thread's gonna be boring and only entertain suggestions 50 or more years ago, because it's impossible to be fair after that. Posted by Jon Kay at September 14, 2007 12:07 AMComments
I think you are right to exclude the last half century, on the grounds that passions may still be too high. But up to that point, I think the answer is no. There are only three Presidents that might, maybe, be candidates. First off would be Jackson and Harrison. I don't think either of them actually fit the criteria, but with one exception they are the closest. The third candidate, of course, is FDR. One can argue whether or not he had the right solutions for the problems that the country faced. But the rhetoric that he used to win the Presidency comes closer to demagogery than any other successful candidate in our history. Conclusion: Either Americans are exceptionally discerning voters when it comes to demagogery. Or we have been amazingly lucky for over two centuries. It's good to be lucky. Posted by: wj at September 14, 2007 06:44 PMYeah, Jackson also came to my mind. But I haven't read enough about him to be sure. |
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