Editing Demagogue (section)

===Folksy posturing===
Demagogues often make a show of appearing to be down-to-earth, ordinary citizens just like the people whose votes they seek. In the United States, many took folksy nicknames: [[William H. Murray]] (1869–1956) was "Alfalfa Bill"; [[James M. Curley]] (1874–1958) of Boston was "Our Jim"; [[Ellison D. Smith]] (1864–1944) was "Cotton Ed"; the husband-and-wife demagogue team of [[Miriam A. Ferguson|Miriam]] and [[James E. Ferguson]] went by "Ma and Pa"; Texas governor [[W. Lee O'Daniel]] (1890–1969) was "Pappy-Pass-the-Biscuits".{{r|Luthin|page=303–304, 306–307}}<ref name="Dykeman-folksy" /><ref name=Davis />

Georgia governor [[Eugene Talmadge]] (1884–1946) put a barn and a henhouse on the executive mansion grounds, loudly explaining that he could not sleep nights unless he heard the bellowing of livestock and the cackling of poultry.{{r|Luthin|page=303–304, 306–307}}{{r|Luthin|page=188–189}} When in the presence of farmers, he chewed tobacco and faked a rural accent—though he himself was college-educated—railing against "frills" and "nigger-lovin' furriners".{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}} Talamadge defined "''furriner"'' as "Anyone who attempts to impose ideas that are contrary to the established traditions of Georgia." His grammar and vocabulary became more refined when speaking before an urban audience.{{r|Luthin|page=197}} Talmadge was famous for wearing gaudy red [[galluses]], which he snapped for emphasis during his speeches.<ref name="Dykeman-folksy" />{{r|Luthin|page=184}} On his desk, he kept three books that he loudly told visitors were all that a governor needed: a [[bible]], the state financial report, and a [[Sears#Mail order|Sears–Roebuck catalog]].{{r|Luthin|page=197}}

[[Huey Long]] emphasized his humble roots by calling himself "The Kingfish" and gulping down [[pot likker]] when visiting northern Louisiana. He once issued a press release demanding that his name be removed from the Washington ''[[Social Register]]''.<ref name="Dykeman-folksy" /> "Alfalfa Bill" made sure to remind people of his rural background by talking in the terminology of farming: "I will plow straight furrows and blast all the stumps. The common people and I can lick the whole lousy gang."{{r|Luthin|page=303–304, 306–307}}