Bryan, Wilson and Roosevelt?

[Mikestone8]

I tend to view Wilson and Roosevelt as a far more upper-class, intellectual brand of liberalism, though obviously one still oriented towards helping the "common man". Bryan was much more down-to-earth in that sense. As well, Wilson and Roosevelt were of the a more urban "progressive" background while Bryan was of the "populist" orientation. Though one sort of preceded/worked alongside/was counterpart to the other, there's a divide, IMO. Although, if it weren't for Byan's endorsement at the 1912 DNC, it's unlikely that Wilson would have even been nominated.

So Bryan's closest political heir was probably Truman, though Hubert Humphrey might have been even closer had he reached the White House.

[Mikestone8]

I'd never thought of it that way, but good point. Both were from an area much closer to Bryan's, namely the area right around where the Mid-West becomes the West. Truman especially IMO, though it seems they lost the Christian Democrat thing along the way and it became more solely economics than was Bryan's style. From what I remember reading, Truman actually served as a page at one of the DNC's that nominated Bryan, and later credited Bryan with saving liberalism in the Democratic party.

Was it so much saving as reviving from the dead?

Had the Democratic Party been liberal by any reasonable definnition since about the 1850s?

[Mikestone8]

Bryan was a Protestant fundamentalist (not very progressive in that respect )and he basically watered down the Populist ideas for usage for the Democratic Party. Also, he didn't take a stand against white supremacy.

Wasanybody taking much of a stand against white supremacy in the period 1896 through 1912?