U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D. OH) released an op-ed piece today for USA Today regarding yesterday’s election results in France. In his piece, Brown tackles the false narrative that white nationalists like Donald Trump, Steve Bannon and last night’s loser, Marine Le Pen, are true populists. In fact, Brown takes back the term “populist” and defines it by it’s true meaning:
Donald Trump is a populist. So are Marine Le Pen and Steven Bannon.
Really?
Populism does not divide our society into these people here or those people over there. It doesn’t fan resentments and exploit grievances. Populism never excludes based on race or gender or religion. It doesn’t appeal to some by pushing others down; it embraces everyone.
Populism speaks out against a church shooting, or a threat against a Jewish center, or the bombing of a mosque. A populist stands in solidarity against all acts of hate.
Populism is a belief that you build the economy from the middle class out, not by demanding tax cuts for the most affluent, with the long-discredited argument that prosperity will trickle down.
Populism is a trade policy that puts American workers and small businesses first, but never pits foreign workers against our country's workers. We never confuse populism and jingoism.
Populism doesn’t preach hate. Populism preaches hope — hope that all workers will have the opportunity to build better lives for their families. I hear that same hope all over Ohio, from the young, diverse workers at a software company outside of Cleveland, to coal country, where people aren’t willing to give up on their hometowns.
The op-ed is worth the read. It’s great that Brown is stepping up and taking back the term “populist” and not just by calling Trump but also laying out a real plan that accurately depicts populism:
Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio is offering one corrective vision for what Democrats hoping to retake the Midwest should do. Brown, 64, is already being written about as a 2020 presidential contender. He’s widely regarded as one of the caucus’s most left-wing members, but also speaks with the credibility of having won multiple statewide elections in purple territory by big margins.
And earlier this congressional session, Brown released a detailed, 77-page plan detailing a suite of economic policy proposals that suggest what his “economic populism” would look like for Democrats. His ideas include greater bargaining rights for union workers, a $15 minimum wage, a crackdown on employers who treat full-time workers as independent contractors, and a “Benefits Bank” for workers whose employers don’t save for retirement.
None of these have any chance of being implemented with a Republican-controlled congress and White House. But in an interview on Tuesday, the Ohio senator detailed one of his most ambitious proposals — a “Corporate Freeloader Fee” that would penalize large corporations that pay their workers less than $24,000, while also giving tax breaks to those businesses that pay above a living wage and offer retirement and medical coverage.
“Corporations that pay good wages, take care of health benefits for their employees, those whose employees don’t have to rely on the social safety net — they should get a lower tax rate than those companies who are paying very low wages,” Brown said in an interview.
Well said. The GOP is eager to take down Brown next year but even they know that won’t be an easy task, despite Trump winning Ohio last year. Brown’s always been an economic populist who has been successful in building a coalition of white working class voters along with the Obama coalition. Still, he is going to need our help and support big time next year. Click here to donate and get involved with Brown’s re-election campaign.