Abstract
Macaulay examines two populist leaders who became prominent during the 2016 Democratic and Republican Presidential campaigns: Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. Using Laclau (2005a), Searlian Speech Act Theory (1969) and Greimasian Narrative Theory (1966), Macaulay analyses the principal similarities and differences between these two populist figures, one right-wing and the other left-wing. Macaulay takes her definition of populism from Laclau who understands populism as a “logic” wherein unmet needs translate into an aggregation of popular demands which in turn construct both ‘the people’ and a given ‘elite’ or ‘opposition.’ What significantly distinguishes Donald Trump from Bernie Sanders is Trump’s representation of himself as an “unmet need.” In his positioning of himself as a “jobs President,” Trump integrates himself as an unmet need with those of the American people in a quest to “Make America Great Again.” Bernie Sanders in contrast represents himself as a ‘co-subject’ with the American people in a revolution to address demands for social and economic equity. As populists, both Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders share many of the same popular demands but one places himself at the centre of his quest as an unmet need, while the other plays a collateral role to that of ‘the people’ whom he seeks to inspire and mobilise.
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Notes
- 1.
The terms 1 percent and 99 percent come out of the Occupy Wall Street Movement that sought to bring attention to economic disparity after the 2008 recession.
- 2.
It is important to note that Laclau commences his discussion with a long examination of the concept of the “mob” and group thinking.
- 3.
In Greimasian narrative theory all narratives begin with the announcement or realisation of a loss or lack.
- 4.
I have analysed this as a narrative clause although past tense is not realised. What is presupposed is that ‘Mexico sent its people.’
- 5.
In case grammar, have provides for a structure in which the grammatical subject functions as the recipient of an action: It is to/for me.
- 6.
It is interesting to note de Tocqueville’s observation about the American man of wealth: “His dress is plain, his demeanour unassuming; but the interior of his dwelling glitters with luxury, and none but a few chosen guests whom he haughtily styles his equals are allowed to penetrate into this sanctuary” (Democracy in America, Vol. 1, Part 2). Trump throughout his campaign wore a baseball cap. Baseball caps are worn principally by the working class in the United States. Trump’s preferred game is not baseball but golf, a game enjoyed largely by the upper middle class.
- 7.
Indirect directives can be formed through invocation of any of the four conditions that compose a directive. Above, Sanders invokes the essential condition expressing reasons or consequences in three indirect directives .
- 8.
Sanders’ closing for his Marshalltown speech was made into a video cartoon “Don’t Tell Me” that went viral on the internet during the democratic primary campaign.
- 9.
It is not clear if this is an actual feature of right-wing populism. We see left-wing populists such as Hugo Chávez equally embracing authoritarian policies. There are other right-wing populist movements such as the Reform Party in Canada that highly privileged democratic practices.
- 10.
The King, sender, asks the Prince, subject, to rescue the Princess, object.
- 11.
It could, however, be argued that Trump did engage his audience in the role of helper in giving his stump speeches. He encouraged attacks on the media as well as attacks on Hillary Clinton through his direct directive “Lock her up.” The latter became a mob-like chant as his rallies.
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Macaulay, M. (2019). Bernie and the Donald: A Comparison of Left- and Right-Wing Populist Discourse. In: Macaulay, M. (eds) Populist Discourse. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97388-3_6
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