Is a non-populist major third party possible?

[Kingpoleon]

Ross Perot, George Wallace, Robert La Follette, Theodore Roosevelt, and James B. Weaver were all populists. Those are the most recent major third parties. They were all populists in one sense or another. Is it possible for a major third party not to be populist?

[Lord Admirale]

I doubt it, especially considering FPTP. Unless something seriously massive happens.

[Confused Democrat]

Possibly Mark Cuban.

[parochial boy]

If the Republicans go heavily down the nationalist route; and Democrats go heavily down either the identity politics or economic-leftist routes then why not?

FPTP never stopped the Lib Dems being the third party in the UK.

[Goldwater]

Define "populist".

[Chunk Yogurt for President!]

Define "populist".

It's basically a catch-all term that applies to wide variety of political figures from William Jennings Bryan to Juan Peron, Adolf Hitler, Bernie Sanders, and Donald Trump.

I think it's supposed to mean any ideology that attacks the establishment and appeals to lower class people.  The people it appeals to could be farmers, miners, the urban poor, union workers, etc.  Of course, every populist movement attracts wealthy people and business interests (Silver mining companies for WJB, celebrities who supported Sanders, and the various business interests and media personalities that supported Trump).  It has more to do with a candidate's style than their policies.

[Goldwater]

Define "populist".

It's basically a catch-all term that applies to wide variety of political figures from William Jennings Bryan to Juan Peron, Adolf Hitler, Bernie Sanders, and Donald Trump.

I think it's supposed to mean any ideology that attacks the establishment and appeals to lower class people.  The people it appeals to could be farmers, miners, the urban poor, union workers, etc.  Of course, every populist movement attracts wealthy people and business interests (Silver mining companies for WJB, celebrities who supported Sanders, and the various business interests and media personalities that supported Trump).  It has more to do with a candidate's style than their policies.

In that case, wouldn't a successful third party almost have to be populist, by it's very nature?

[RINO Tom]

Honestly, with broad political definitions, I think it's as useful to formulate your own definition based on all of the political things you've read, experienced, etc.  To me, populism is energizing a disadvantaged or looked down upon group into "doing something about it," inevitibly trashing the "haves" in the process - whether that's the rich, the intellectual elite, the political establishment, who cares?  Hence why I find it so antithetical to conservatism, but whatever.

[White Trash]

It's hard to call John Anderson a populist.

[Kingpoleon]

It's hard to call John Anderson a populist.

6.6% is pretty dismal for such a high ranking and intelligent man.

[history nerd]

It's hard to call John Anderson a populist.

6.6% is pretty dismal for such a high ranking and intelligent man.

Unfortunately I think that might be as good as it gets... Appeals to reason and moderation just don't sell like populism does. People like King, Bloomberg, Chafee, and Walker can win outside the duopoly locally due to odd local coalitions but aren't able to create excitement like you need to run for POTUS.

[RaphaelDLG]

The best you could get would be a 50% populist, VERY personality driven campaign from a Mark Cuban or a Ross Perot type celebrity billionaire

ETA:  Maybe also if like a "centrist" very prominent former General or Admiral ran

[100% pro-life no matter what]

Define "populist".

It's basically a catch-all term that applies to wide variety of political figures from William Jennings Bryan to Juan Peron, Adolf Hitler, Bernie Sanders, and Donald Trump.

I think it's supposed to mean any ideology that attacks the establishment and appeals to lower class people.  The people it appeals to could be farmers, miners, the urban poor, union workers, etc.  Of course, every populist movement attracts wealthy people and business interests (Silver mining companies for WJB, celebrities who supported Sanders, and the various business interests and media personalities that supported Trump).  It has more to do with a candidate's style than their policies.

In that case, wouldn't a successful third party almost have to be populist, by it's very nature?

I don't think so.  You could have a Gary Johnson-Lincoln Chafee-Susan Collins-Michael Bloomberg-Charlie Baker elitist soft-libertarian third party.  The "socially liberal, but fiscally conservative" people.

[Skill and Chance]

Define "populist".

It's basically a catch-all term that applies to wide variety of political figures from William Jennings Bryan to Juan Peron, Adolf Hitler, Bernie Sanders, and Donald Trump.

I think it's supposed to mean any ideology that attacks the establishment and appeals to lower class people.  The people it appeals to could be farmers, miners, the urban poor, union workers, etc.  Of course, every populist movement attracts wealthy people and business interests (Silver mining companies for WJB, celebrities who supported Sanders, and the various business interests and media personalities that supported Trump).  It has more to do with a candidate's style than their policies.

In that case, wouldn't a successful third party almost have to be populist, by it's very nature?

I don't think so.  You could have a Gary Johnson-Lincoln Chafee-Susan Collins-Michael Bloomberg-Charlie Baker elitist soft-libertarian third party.  The "socially liberal, but fiscally conservative" people.

I don't think they would ever control much, though.  They would just screw Democrats out of much of the Northeast.  If we're talking about a 3rd party that can actually win statewide elections anywhere, an elite-libertarian coalition simply hasn't worked.

I think the most likely 3rd party movement going forward is some kind of Mormon/Texas HFC-style coalition, particularly if Trump eventually goes FDR 1938 on the HFC and tries to primary them all out.

But again, you probably just end up screwing your favorite major party by doing this.  The HFC strikes me as anti-establishment enough to truly not care, though.

[Santander]

A politician's job is to get votes from people, so populism is necessary.

[Hoosier_Nick]

If Blooomberg ever ran, him