Why Progressive Populism?
There seems little doubt that Nader has become more radical over the years, but he would object to being described as a socialist. Although many liberals nowadays call themselves “progressives,” few of them understand the historical dimensions of the term, and fewer still understand what Nader is trying to do by building a third-party “progressive populism.” At his February 21 campaign kickoff, Nader said about the third party, “The new populism, which the Green Party represents, involves motivated, informed voters who comprehend that `freedom is participation in power’…” What is interesting is not the homily, but Nader’s use of the term “the new populism,” which more closely defines his perspective than it does that of the Greens. While it may not be possible to precisely pinpoint Nader’s world-view, one can certainly rule out the idea that Nader simply wants a return to corporate social liberalism. The Lincoln Star Journal, reporting May 14, 2000 on the Greens in Nebraska, headline
