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Candidates of the People

Dec 17 2007

Back to: The Phony Populist

Candidates of the People
Andrew Jackson
William Jennings Bryan
Huey Long
George Wallace
Fred Harris
Ross Perot
1 of 12
Ross Perot
John Edwards is hardly the first candidate to run for president as a populist. Others have taken their case to the masses, usually without much success.
Andrew Jackson
He railed against the federally chartered Bank of the United States and during his presidency managed to have it killed, saying it benefited only the wealthy.
William Jennings Bryan
Remembered for his 1896 "Cross of Gold" speech, which lamented the plight of the poor and the power of bankers, he was a three-time Democratic presidential nominee.
Huey Long
The famed governor and senator from Louisiana vowed to make "every man a king." He was shot and killed before ever running for president.
George Wallace
Though best known for opposing integration before later accepting civil rights, he advocated big boosts in Social Security and Medicare funding.
Fred Harris
The Oklahoma senator never got far in his 1972 and 1976 presidential bids, when he ran as a "new populist," traveling the country in an R.V.
Ross Perot
In 1992, the billionaire won 19 percent of the popular vote by championing deficit reduction, clean government, and opposition to trade agreements.

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