Jim Hightower

James Allen "Jim" Hightower (born January 11, 1943) is a well-known populist activist and a former Texas Commissioner of Agriculture.

Related Topics:
January 11 - 1943 - Populist - Activist - Texas

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Born in Denison, Texas, Hightower came from a working class background. He worked his way through college as assistant general manager of the Denton Chamber of Commerce, and later landed a spot as a management trainee for the State Department. He received a B.A. in government from the University of North Texas and later did graduate work at Columbia University in international affairs.

Related Topics:
Denison, Texas - Working class - College - Chamber of Commerce - State Department - B.A. - University of North Texas - Columbia University

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In the late 1960s, he worked in Washington, D.C. as legislative aide to Senator Ralph Yarborough. After managing the presidential campaign of populist former Senator Fred R. Harris of Oklahoma in 1976, he returned to Texas to become the editor of the magazine Texas Observer. His first run for office was for the Democratic nomination for the Texas Railroad Commission (which regulates the oil industry), which he lost. Hightower was elected Agricultural Commissioner in 1982, serving in that capacity to 1991. His tenure was noted for fostering organic production, alternative crops, direct marketing by small farmers, strong pesticide regulations, and other innovative programs. During that time, he also became a leading national spokesman for populist and progressive Democrats. He was defeated in 1990 by current Texas governor and former Democrat Rick Perry.

Related Topics:
1960s - Washington, D.C. - Ralph Yarborough - Presidential - Fred R. Harris - Oklahoma - 1976 - Democratic - Oil - 1982 - 1991 - Organic production - Direct marketing - Pesticide - Progressive - 1990 - Rick Perry

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During the 1992 presidential election, he supported the candidacy of Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa, a fellow populist and the only doctrinaire liberal in the race. After Harkin dropped out and endorsed Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas, Hightower, who disdained Clinton's centrism, cast his superdelegate vote for former Governor Jerry Brown of California at the Democratic National Convention.

Related Topics:
1992 presidential election - Tom Harkin - Iowa - Liberal - Bill Clinton - Arkansas - Centrism - Superdelegate - Jerry Brown - California - Democratic National Convention

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Once Clinton was elected, Hightower soon made a name for himself as one the president's most dogged left-wing critics, slamming Clinton almost daily for his acceptance of corporate soft money contributions, his support of NAFTA, his health care plan, his refusal to crack down on alleged "corporate welfare," and what Hightower viewed as his inadequate stance on ending unemployment and poverty.

Related Topics:
Corporate - Soft money - NAFTA - Corporate welfare - Unemployment - Poverty

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In 1996, Hightower cast his first vote for someone other than a Democrat when he voted for Green Party nominee Ralph Nader for president. Four years later, he hit the campaign trail for Nader, who was once again running as a Green, appearing at Nader's "super-rallies" and stumping across the country for him.

Related Topics:
1996 - Green Party - Ralph Nader

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After the disputed outcome of 2000 election, Hightower moved back into the Democratic fold, despite loudly voicing the opinion that it was Vice President Al Gore, and not Nader, who was responsible for Gore's loss to Governor George W. Bush. During the 2004 presidential primaries, Hightower supported the populist presidential bid of former Governor Howard Dean of Vermont. After Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts won the nomination, Hightower switched his support to him, rather than backing Nader's third presidential candidacy. During the election, he also campaigned heavily in support of the U.S. senate bid of Granny D, a friend and fellow activist who was running against incumbent Republican Senator Judd Gregg.

Related Topics:
2000 election - Al Gore - George W. Bush - 2004 presidential primaries - Howard Dean - Vermont - John Kerry - Massachusetts - Granny D - Republican - Judd Gregg

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Since 1993, he has produced "Hightower Radio," a daily two-minute commentary carried by over 130 affiliates. He is a popular speaker, crisscrossing the country for about 100 speeches a year to a variety of audiences with the goal of organizing grassroots political activism.

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Hightower currently writes a nationally-syndicated column carried by 75 independent weeklies and other publications. He also writes a monthly newsletter The Hightower Lowdown, which has more than 125,000 subscribers and is notable for in-depth investigative reporting and an unapologetically partisan tone in criticizing George W. Bush's presidential administration, which he rails against as beholden to corporations and extremist conservative political ideology. He also writes for The Progressive Populist.

Related Topics:
Investigative reporting - George W. Bush - Corporation - Extremist - Political ideology - The Progressive Populist

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