ralph nader = populist?

[WalterMitty]

if the generally agreed definition of populist is one who is socially conservative and economically liberal, why does ralph nader call his 'party' the populist party?

i hardly think of nader as a populist.

[King]

Because 'populist' is a cool name for a party. 

[falling apart like the ashes of American flags]

Nader is not a populist or a leftist at all, he is an egomaniac totalitarian.

now going by what he says, he could be considered populist, going by populist's true definition. Unfortunately, I don't have enough time to explain it now. Wait until I'm off work.

[Lunar]

if the generally agreed definition of populist is one who is socially conservative and economically liberal, why does ralph nader call his 'party' the populist party?

i hardly think of nader as a populist.

It's named from the historical Populist Party, which was a very progressive party at the time.

[Alcon]

Populism has two definitions: the original, and probably more accurate, is simply a movement of the people (hence the word "populism.") It just happened that this movement was midwestern, and thus socially right-of-center or right and economically very liberal. Thus, the opposite of "libertarian" came to be "populism": it just means that Nader (like so many third party candidates) is grasping at straws and trying to be grassroots hip.

[Rob]

Nader's a douchebag no matter what he calls himself.

[A18]

I think he's trying to break Debs' record.

[Brandon H]

Populism is the opposite of corporatism and economic elitism. While the Republicans and Democrats are controlled by large corporations and the economic elite, Nader wants to represent the general populus. Nader is a left wing populist while Pat Buchanan is considered a right wing populists.

Here is an interesting diagram. http://progressiveliving.org/graphics/TRUE_POLITICAL_SPECTRUM.htm I agree with the general placement, but not with some of the specifics.

For this reason I think the terms authoritarian (moderate) and totalitarian (extreme) work better as the opposite of libertarian.

[falling apart like the ashes of American flags]

Nader's a douchebag no matter what he calls himself.

I have to agree there.

Anyway traditionally populism means trying to reach out to the common people. Typically this means social conservatism and economic liberalism at least in the US, hence it's definition as that as well, but it's definately possible to do so only as one of those. In fact  a Libertarian populist is possible, I could see John Dibble doing such a thing in a presidential campaign. Conversely, someone like Stalin is NOT a populist.

[AuH2O]

Sure, insofar as he wants himself to be popular.

[falling apart like the ashes of American flags]

He is best simply summed up as a Stalinist totalitarian with a massive personality cult, and a very dangerous person who one should avoid at all costs.

[MaC]

how is Nader conservative?  I mean socailly he's pretty liberal, ex. pro gay marraige, pro union, pro affirmative action, pro abortion...
I think he just took the name populist because it sounds cool.  Without attaching political ideology to the term, populist means "of the people", and that's the image Nader wanted to have when campaigning.

[Joe Kakistocracy]

Nader's a douchebag no matter what he calls himself.