A Call to Pitchforks

David Sirota smells a revolution. From the right and the left of American politics, says the Daily Kos blogger and activist, people are putting the power elite on notice: A reckoning is at hand. No more will the greedy and self-serving be tolerated in the halls of our nation’s public buildings. The corridors of power will echo with the words and will of the people. Indeed, Sirota begins The Uprising: An Unauthorized Tour of the Populist Revolt Scaring Wall Street and Washington by quoting the Declaration of Independence, in which Thomas Jefferson wrote that it is the duty of those oppressed by government “to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.” It is no accident that among the silhouettes on the cover of his new book is the figure of a farmer with a pitchfork. Sirota wants you to grab yours and join him in putting things right.

David Sirota smells a revolution. From the right and the left of American politics, says the Daily Kos blogger and activist, people are putting the power elite on notice: A reckoning is at hand. No more will the greedy and self-serving be tolerated in the halls of our nation’s public buildings. The corridors of power will echo with the words and will of the people. Indeed, Sirota begins The Uprising: An Unauthorized Tour of the Populist Revolt Scaring Wall Street and Washington by quoting the Declaration of Independence, in which Thomas Jefferson wrote that it is the duty of those oppressed by government “to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.” It is no accident that among the silhouettes on the cover of his new book is the figure of a farmer with a pitchfork. Sirota wants you to grab yours and join him in putting things right.

Populism has always been, well, popular. Whether they are Democrats railing against moneyed interests or Republicans railing against Ivy League elites, American politicians from Jefferson to Reagan, Jackson to Clinton, have tried to tap into the feeling of disenfranchisement rooted deeply in the minds of most citizens. Even those who run unsuccessfully, like William Jennings Bryan or John Edwards, are often remembered for having defined the debate in populist terms. How much this “pandering”—or accountability, depending on one’s point of view—will define the current election cycle has yet to be seen. But the speeches of Obama and McCain show that the populist message is still alive. At the heart of this phenomenon is an argument that dates back to the founding of the republic: Should the government respond directly to the desires of the governed, or should “clearer” heads prevail? In other words, is populism a force for good, or merely a mob mentality?

David Sirota clearly believes that populism is a force for good, at least when the people are opposing big business and the Iraq war. His book is replete with examples of populist, progressive politicians and organizers doing good works. He takes readers to the governor’s mansion in Montana, where Brian Schweitzer has succeeded as a Democrat fighting tax battles in a heavily Republican state. He shows how activist stockholders are, to some extent, succeeding in shaping greenhouse gas policy at Exxon-Mobil. In Washington, D.C., he explains how a handful of politically savvy senators and representatives are defying the conventional wisdom that Americans are voters of habit, unable to cross party lines. And at CNN, Sirota portrays Lou Dobbs leading a populist revolt against big media, from the inside. Dobbs’ melding of advocacy and journalism, reminiscent of an earlier age when newspapers eagerly participated in party politics, is a powerful force in Sirota’s uprising. “The show takes positions because it sees itself as an active participant in the uprising, rather than an observer—and Dobbs wants you, the viewer, to join in.”

While Sirota’s admiration for Dobbs may be surprising because some of Dobbs’ positions are hardly considered “progressive”—Sirota actually likens him to Darth Vader—it’s understandable. Sirota describes himself as a journalist and activist, a man out to shape opinions by reporting what he wants his audience to know. This upending, even twisting, of the modern definition of journalism seems organic to the current state of American politics. According to recent studies, record low numbers of voters identify themselves as independents. The two major parties seem to have divvied up the populace, and people are more set in their beliefs than ever. In this atmosphere, it is logical for reporters to stake out positions. Sirota, though claiming to represent a citizenry yearning for change, is a liberal activist making the occasional nod to the right, but who obviously wants nothing to do with conservatives. His honesty is at least refreshing.

As for The Uprising, it is an important book not because of its call to arms—that’s hardly novel—but because of its depiction of a political and economic system in a state of flux. Change is in the air for the umpteenth time in American history, and Sirota has visited the front lines as a keen-eyed participant and observer. His accounts of the battles are well written, humorous and full of insider information that should make any political junkie—and potential voter—think long and hard about where we are and what kind of nation we want to be.

Populism has always been, well, popular. Whether they are Democrats railing against moneyed interests or Republicans railing against Ivy League elites, American politicians from Jefferson to Reagan, Jackson to Clinton, have tried to tap into the feeling of disenfranchisement rooted deeply in the minds of most citizens. Even those who run unsuccessfully, like William Jennings Bryan or John Edwards, are often remembered for having defined the debate in populist terms. How much this “pandering”—or accountability, depending on one’s point of view—will define the current election cycle has yet to be seen. But the speeches of Obama and McCain show that the populist message is still alive. At the heart of this phenomenon is an argument that dates back to the founding of the republic: Should the government respond directly to the desires of the governed, or should “clearer” heads prevail? In other words, is populism a force for good, or merely a mob mentality?

David Sirota clearly believes that populism is a force for good, at least when the people are opposing big business and the Iraq war. His book is replete with examples of populist, progressive politicians and organizers doing good works. He takes readers to the governor’s mansion in Montana, where Brian Schweitzer has succeeded as a Democrat fighting tax battles in a heavily Republican state. He shows how activist stockholders are, to some extent, succeeding in shaping greenhouse gas policy at Exxon-Mobil. In Washington, D.C., he explains how a handful of politically savvy senators and representatives are defying the conventional wisdom that Americans are voters of habit, unable to cross party lines. And at CNN, Sirota portrays Lou Dobbs leading a populist revolt against big media, from the inside. Dobbs’ melding of advocacy and journalism, reminiscent of an earlier age when newspapers eagerly participated in party politics, is a powerful force in Sirota’s uprising. “The show takes positions because it sees itself as an active participant in the uprising, rather than an observer—and Dobbs wants you, the viewer, to join in.”

While Sirota’s admiration for Dobbs may be surprising because some of Dobbs’ positions are hardly considered “progressive”—Sirota actually likens him to Darth Vader—it’s understandable. Sirota describes himself as a journalist and activist, a man out to shape opinions by reporting what he wants his audience to know. This upending, even twisting, of the modern definition of journalism seems organic to the current state of American politics. According to recent studies, record low numbers of voters identify themselves as independents. The two major parties seem to have divvied up the populace, and people are more set in their beliefs than ever. In this atmosphere, it is logical for reporters to stake out positions. Sirota, though claiming to represent a citizenry yearning for change, is a liberal activist making the occasional nod to the right, but who obviously wants nothing to do with conservatives. His honesty is at least refreshing.

As for The Uprising, it is an important book not because of its call to arms—that’s hardly novel—but because of its depiction of a political and economic system in a state of flux. Change is in the air for the umpteenth time in American history, and Sirota has visited the front lines as a keen-eyed participant and observer. His accounts of the battles are well written, humorous and full of insider information that should make any political junkie—and potential voter—think long and hard about where we are and what kind of nation we want to be.