Here’s a previous post on Bill Moyers populist tendencies, which includes this definition:
“Populism is a political doctrine or philosophy that purports to defend the interests of the common people against an entrenched, self-serving or corrupt elite.”
Often times, many ideas that underlie populism come from artists and those interested in pursuing an artistic expression of beauty, and hopefully, the truths they find there. If artists simply followed the cultural norms, they would not likely achieve great art.
Many people who don’t achieve the artist’s lasting gift (through his art) find what they hope will be enough of a base to unite people together and give their own and other lives meaning within such ideas. Such groups can then put unreasonable demands upon politics by not fully understanding the moral and ethical obligations to which many leaders are bound.
Personally, I think a populist approach does not fully understand the nature of artistic expression. It demonstrates a lack of understanding of how little (and how much) good art can really do.
In Bill Moyers’s case, as a potential populist, I think he’s doing much more than the mainstream media is doing (they could learn a lot from him), but the political ideas have little appeal for me.
See also: Burning Man, Walker Evans, an NPR story
Addition: Here’s an interview with Moyers’ on his journal which addresses the subject. In this case not so much art as maybe his early life and the politics around him are the major influcences on his life. From the seminary, to journalism, to the peace corps, he’s always tried to put deep principles into effect. There’s something admirable about this idealism of his…but not always politically wise…
chr1