Trump is a master storyteller: He has so far bamboozled us into thinking he’s a populist fighting for working people. But, in truth, his policies benefit the rich. This is making many of his followers start to have second thoughts as it dawns on them that his entire schtick is fake news.
Still, they remain confused: even if you are right, they say, he is so damn persuasive! And, after all, what is the alternative? That’s the key question.
Populism is a confusing subject, even to a progressive like me. When I think of populism, I picture something quite different from Trump: I think of the late 19th-century Populist party. This left-wing agrarian movement championed the common person against the monied interests of the Gilded Age.
Sadly, left-wing populists have always been viewed with suspicion by progressives. While they share common traits, progressives have often opposed populist movements. That disconnect continues today, as evidenced by how liberals distrust Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Zohran Mamdani — all worthy successors to those old-time populists.
If we want to move forward, it’s high time for progressives and populists to unite. David Brooks offers that sage suggestion in a recent Atlantic article. He then goes on to make an even more critical point, long a truism in politics: a current government tends to stay in power, no matter how dysfunctional, until a more appealing alternative appears. Or in Brooks’ own words:
“Trumpism, like populism, is more than a set of policies—it’s a culture. Trump offers people a sense of belonging, an identity, status, self-respect, and a comprehensive political ethic … To beat a social movement, you must build a counter social movement. And to do that, you need a different narrative about where we are and where we should be heading, a different set of values dictating what is admirable and what is disgraceful.”
Brooks’ alternative is to return to the traditional American story, one built on hope and possibility, rather than the current MAGA narrative, which is founded on “menace and threat.”
He writes that progressives have turned “into a bunch of affluent, out-of-touch urbanites who have little in common with regular Americans.” He said that what we need to do is combine our progressive values, celebrating cultural diversity, with our populist roots that emphasize cultural cohesion.
It’s been done before. At the turn of the 20th century, populists and progressives formed an alliance. The progressives, as they were then, were concentrated in cities, while the populists lived in smaller towns. But both were motivated to help the average person who had no voice.
Brooks provides us with the narrative to achieve success. To build a social movement, action is what we need, not empty words. I then stumbled across a column in the New York Times by E. J. Dionne Jr., which offers the proof. He shows how progressive mayors are thriving by focusing on concrete problems that they can do something about.
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu embodies this approach to government, according to Dionne. When asked what she was proudest of in her first term, she listed improvements in those “services and social goods that working people experience each and every day.”
Wu continued on to tout the city’s success in fighting crime, which led to her winning the endorsement of the city’s largest police union. Her list also included expanded pre-K, early education, and child care programs, more affordable housing and a considerable increase in the number of first-time home buyers.
By combining the aspirations of progressives and populists, she is creating the positive vision we so desperately need to end Trump’s vindictive and corrupt reign.
As the first woman and person of color to be elected mayor of Boston, Wu is rekindling faith in our democracy by taking meaningful action: making real improvements in the lives of regular folks.
However, Wu is a reserved, policy-focused leader who prefers collaboration over the spotlight. For a progressive to run for president, it would help if she were more charismatic, like a young Bernie Sanders, who also started his career as a mayor.
For the future, we would be wise to keep an eye on another populist who exudes charisma: he is currently running for mayor of New York City.
Jean Stimmell, retired stone mason and psychotherapist, lives in Northwood and blogs at jstim.substack.com.