Nearly a century after his death, the Kingfish is making a comeback. Fans of the late Louisiana politician Huey P. Long can be found across the partisan divide, with populist conservatives and socialist Democrats embracing his message of economic equality under the banner of “Every man a king.” These days, he’s even a featured character in Hearts of Iron 4, a computer wargame, and he’s developed a cult following among gamers.
Evidence of Long’s peculiar cultural resurrection can be found on the left in universal-income advocates such as Andrew Yang and avowedly socialist lawmakers such as Bernie Sanders. Just swap out “Share the Wealth” for $1,000 checks and retaliating against Standard Oil for targeting “millionaires and billionaires,” and the Kingfish lives again.
Among Democrats and the left-wing intelligentsia, that’s to be expected. They crave a return to the era of Long and FDR, a time of big social programs and greater economic parity. (Nearly everyone being poor makes things miserable but equal.) But conservatives tempted by the lure of populism’s nostalgia would do well to choose different heroes to emulate — and reconsider their policies altogether.