Andrew Jackson — the first populist

• Scott LaMar
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Scott LaMar has worked in both radio and television for more than four decades.
  
  Currently, LaMar is the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
  
  In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar has moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
  
  LaMar often emcees or moderates local events and has gone as far as California to emcee a national event.
  
  The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
  
  LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
  
  A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.

Macro of image the face of Andrew Jackson on the Twenty American Dollar Bill.

Airdate: Thursday, June 16, 2022

The word populist has made a comeback in American politics since the election of Donald Trump in 2016. Trump ran and won the presidency by appealing to ordinary people who feel their concerns are disregarded by elite groups – the very definition of populism. But Trump isn’t the only politician who has spoken to this segment of the population.

President Andrew Jackson may have been the first. In fact, a new book, The First Populist – The Defiant Life of Andrew Jackson identifies Jackson as the original American populist. The biography describes Jackson as a man who rose from poverty to military hero to one of the nation’s most unique presidents.

Author David Brown spoke about Jackson and the book recently at Midtown Scholar Bookstore in Harrisburg.

Thursday’s Smart Talk is made up of excerpts from that conversation.