It is always a little dangerous for Democrats to bring up the old Populist, William Jennings Bryan. Afterall, he was the anti-monkey attorney in the Scopes trial, and being a creature of his time, much of his populism was of the anti-urban slant, and you have to overlook the less than progressive racial views of the late 19th Century Democratic Party. But there is no doubt that he was one of the greatest American orators. Barack is good, but below are some excerpts that from Bryan that leave him in the dust. This is from Bryan's most famous work, "The Cross of Gold" speech, delivered at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, 1896. If you don't know, this impassioned speech was on the issue of the US maintaining a gold standard for its currency, instead of a more free-floating multi-metal coinage (i.e. the "money on paper" we know today. The main proponents of keeping the gold standard were the Wall Street Banks. And thus, as all things come full circle, more or less... a paraphrase of the "Cross of Gold" Speech aimed at the Party of Wall Street below.
"Never before in the history of this country has there been witnessed such a contest as that through which we have passed. Never before in the history of American politics has a great issue been fought out as this issue has been..." Yeah, you shoulda been here for the HIR fight, WJB.
"When you come before us and tell us that we shall disturb your business interests, we reply that you have disturbed our business interests by your action. We say that you have made too limited in its application the definition of a businessman. The man who is employed for wages is as much of a businessman as his employer......The attorney...The merchant... The farmer who goes forth in the morning and toils all day, begins in the spring and toils all summer, and by the application of brain and muscle to the natural resources of this country creates wealth, is as much of a businessman as the man who goes to the Board of Trade and bets upon the price of grain. The miners who go 1,000 feet into the earth or climb 2,000 feet upon the cliffs and bring forth from their hiding places the precious metals to be poured in the channels of trade are as much businessmen as the few financial magnates who in a backroom corner the money of the world." Has he caught your interest yet?
"Those who are opposed to this proposition tell us that the issue of paper money is a function of the bank and that government ought to go out of the banking business. I stand with Jefferson rather than with them, and tell them, as he did, that the issue of money is a function of government and that the banks should go out of the governing business."
Was WJB prescient? Or have things really changed so little in 100 years?
"There are two ideas of government. There are those who believe that if you just legislate to make the well-to-do prosperous, that their prosperity will leak through on those below. The Democratic idea has been that if you legislate to make the masses prosperous their prosperity will find its way up and through every class that rests upon it." Screw you, Milton Friedman.
Now the beautiful finish with an updated edit by humble me.
"Having behind us the commercial interests and the laboring interests and all the toiling masses, we shall answer their demands for a gold standard by saying to them , you shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of Goldman Sachs.
Oh, and BTW, Sarah Palin, behold real populism. Bryan should make you feel like a media tool, but I'm not getting my hopes up about what you actually feel.