Last night in West Palm Beach, Florida, Donald Trump delivered a speech reminiscent of Father Edward Coughlin. Coughlin, who some might consider Rush Limbaugh before there was a Rush Limbaugh, used radio in the late 1930’s to challenge what he believed was an international conspiracy of financiers and the media to undermine American sovereignty.
Included in Trump’s remarks were the following.
The Clinton machine is at the center of this power structure. We’ve seen this first hand in the WikiLeaks documents, in which Hillary Clinton meets in secret with international banks to plot the destruction of U.S. sovereignty in order to enrich these global financial powers, her special interest friends and her donors.
He went on to say that this global cabal is determined to take your jobs and ruin your lives.
In the final days of this presidential campaign, one needs to remember the historical verdict on Father Coughlin. Laurence DiStasi sums it up best by stating Coughlin tried to bring “a variation of the fascist agenda to the American culture.”
Trumps words were met with vociferous approval by those attending the rally. If the polls are correct, those present at Thursday night’s event do not represent the majority of Americans. Instead of breathing a sigh of relief, I wondered, “What if Trump had decided to run in 2008?” Father Coughlin began his crusade during the Great Depression. It was not his conspiracy theories which led many to rethink their belief in his message. It was his support for the America First movement (where have we heard that recently?) when most of the country recognized Nazi Germany and the other Axis powers posed the real threat to U.S. sovereignty. What would have happened if World War II had not become a catalyst for rebuilding the American economy after a decade of unsettling unemployment and financial ruin?
History tells us the German people were more receptive to Adolph Hitler’s rise due to their economic condition. And I understand much of Trump’s initial support came from those who felt they were left behind during the recovery from the last recession. I can only imagine how successful he would have been if the announcement of his candidacy had focused on reforming the banking laws and tax codes instead of pointing fingers at scapegoats.
Desperate times cloud reason. For example, would Americans and their elected representatives have supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq without September 11, 2001?
And that’s what brings me to 2008. Remember, by November of that year, the unemployment rate was racing toward double digits and many Americans had lost their homes and their savings. The same forces which produced a Father Coughlin were in play. And his message, delivered by an autocrat who promised he alone could fix the situation, would have resonated with a much broader audience.
As any successful comedian will tell you, timing is everything. The same is true in politics.
For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP