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  Hightower, Jim
CANDIDATE DETAILS
AffiliationDemocratic  
 
NameJim Hightower
Address
Austin, Texas , United States
EmailNone
Website [Link]
Born January 11, 1943 (81 years)
ContributorEric
Last ModifedCraverguy
Jun 25, 2009 08:12am
Tags Caucasian -
InfoNational radio commentator, writer, public speaker, and author of the book, Swim Against The Current: Even A Dead Fish Can Go With The Flow, Jim Hightower has spent three decades battling the Powers That Be on behalf of the Powers That Ought To Be - consumers, working families, environmentalists, small businesses, and just-plain-folks.

Twice elected Texas Agriculture Commissioner, Hightower believes that the true political spectrum is not right to left but top to bottom, and he has become a leading national voice for the 80 percent of the public who no longer find themselves within shouting distance of the Washington and Wall Street powers at the top.

Hightower is a modern-day Johnny Appleseed, spreading the message of progressive populism all across the American grassroots.

He broadcasts daily radio commentaries that are carried in more than 150 commercial and public stations, on the web, and on Radio for Peace International.

Each month, he publishes a populist political newsletter, The Hightower Lowdown, which now has more than 135,000 subscribers and is the fastest growing political publication in America. The hard-hitting Lowdown has received both the Alternative Press Award and the Independent Press Association Award for best national newsletter.

A popular public speaker who is fiery and funny, he is a populist road warrior who delivers more than 100 speeches a year to all kinds of groups.

He is a New York Times best-selling author, and has written seven books including, Thieves In High Places: They've Stolen Our Country And It's Time To Take It Back; If the Gods Had Meant Us To Vote They Would Have Given Us Candidates; and There's Nothing In the Middle Of the Road But Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos. His newspaper column is distributed nationally by Creators Syndicate.

Hightower frequently appears on television and radio programs, bringing a hard-hitting populist viewpoint that rarely gets into the mass media. In addition, he works closely with the alternative media, and in all of his work he keeps his ever-ready Texas humor up front, practicing the credo of an old Yugoslavian proverb: "You can fight the gods and still have fun."

Hightower was raised in Denison, Texas, in a family of small business people, tenant farmers, and working folks. A graduate of the University of North Texas, he worked in Washington as legislative aide to Sen. Ralph Yarborough of Texas; he then co-founded the Agribusiness Accountability Project, a public interest project that focused on corporate power in the food economy; and he was national coordinator of the 1976 "Fred Harris for President" campaign. Hightower then returned to his home state, where he became editor of the feisty biweekly, The Texas Observer. He served as director of the Texas Consumer Association before running for statewide office and being elected to two terms as Texas Agriculture Commissioner (1983-1991).

During the 90's, Hightower became known as "America's most popular populist," developing his radio commentaries, hosting two radio talk shows, writing books, launching his newsletter, giving fiery speeches coast to coast, and otherwise speaking out for the American majority that's being locked out economically and politically by the elites.

As political columnist Molly Ivins said, "If Will Rogers and Mother Jones had a baby, Jim Hightower would be that rambunctious child -- mad as hell, with a sense of humor."


JOB APPROVAL POLLS

BOOKS
Title Purchase Contributor
Thieves in High Places: They've Stolen Our Country and It's Time to Take It Back  Purchase Craverguy 
There's Nothing in the Middle of the Road but Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos: A Work of Political Subversion  Purchase Craverguy 
Swim Against the Current: Even a Dead Fish Can Go With the Flow  Purchase Craverguy 
Let's Stop Beating Around the Bush  Purchase Craverguy 
If the Gods Had Meant Us to Vote, They'd Have Given Us Candidates  Purchase Craverguy 

EVENTS
Start Date End Date Type Title Contributor

NEWS
Date Category Headline Article Contributor
Nov 12, 2010 02:00am Blog Entry Don't Just Vote, Run For Office  Article RBH 

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FAMILY

INFORMATION LINKS
RACES
  11/06/1990 TX Agriculture Commissioner Lost 47.93% (-1.17%)
  03/13/1990 TX Agriculture Commissioner - D Primary Won 63.90% (+56.68%)
  11/04/1986 TX Agriculture Commissioner Won 59.92% (+21.84%)
  05/03/1986 TX Agriculture Commissioner - D Primary Won 81.56% (+63.12%)
  11/02/1982 TX Agriculture Commissioner Won 61.82% (+24.73%)
  05/01/1982 TX Agriculture Commissioner - D Primary Won 59.38% (+18.77%)
ENDORSEMENTS
TX US President - D Primary - Mar 03, 2020 I Bernie Sanders
TX US Senate - D Primary - Mar 03, 2020 D Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez
TX US President - D Primary - Mar 01, 2016 I Bernie Sanders
CA - District 02 - Open Primary - Jun 05, 2012 D Norman Solomon
NM District 01 - D Primary - Jun 05, 2012 D Eric Griego
TX Governor - D Primary - Mar 02, 2010 I Kinky Friedman
TX US President - D Primary - Mar 04, 2008 D Barack Obama
NH US Senate - Nov 02, 2004 D Doris "Granny D" Haddock
US President - Popular Vote - Nov 02, 2004 D John F. Kerry
US President - Popular Vote - Nov 07, 2000 I Ralph Nader
US President - Popular Vote - Nov 05, 1996 I Ralph Nader
US President - Popular Vote - Nov 03, 1992 D Bill Clinton
US President - D Primaries - Jul 01, 1992 D Tom Harkin
TX US President - D Primary - Mar 08, 1988 D Jesse L. Jackson
US President - D Primaries - Jul 01, 1976 D Fred R. Harris