Huey Long Paper

9/13/2015

Huey Long: Half the Leader he thought he was

Huey Long was adored by many and vilified by others, yet he is without question one of the most charismatic leaders in America’s history. He charmed and maneuvered his way up the ranks of Louisiana’s state government, a feat for anyone but especially a young man in his mid-twenties. By the time he was assassinated at the age of forty-two, he was well known not only in Louisiana, but around the country as well. In the Huey Long documentary, many of those interviewed described just how contentious the political arena was when Long was at the helm. Many talked about wanting him dead; others cited him as their personal hero. As defined by Willner, Long can certainly be described as a charismatic leader. Long was able to accomplish his agenda through the image he portrayed as a mean of the people, his widespread support amongst the impoverished of Louisiana, and the use of bribery and manipulation.

Willner’s first dimension of a charismatic leader is the leader-image dimension. She argues that followers will view a charismatic leader as superhuman, one who possesses qualities deemed admirable and enviable in the particular culture. In the instance of Huey Long, the woefully impoverished people of Louisiana saw him as their Jesus Christ. Unlike most politicians they had heard of, Long seemingly kept the promises he had made to them. He got poor schoolchildren their textbooks and gave them opportunities for schooling they would not of had otherwise. In the Long documentary, one of his supporters recounted Long’s involvement in his education. He credits Long with his career, noting that without the opportunity for education he would still be living in desolate poverty. Louisiana’s impoverished citizens had long been ignored by the state’s legislators, thus Long shrewdly tapped into this largely neglected voting base. By providing simple essentials to people who had gone without for decades, Long had them in the...