The Demagogic Style

President Obama is the new, cool version of the fifth-century Athenian Cleon.

July 11, 2011 4:00 A.M.

The noun dêmagôgos first appeared in Thucydides’ history, mostly in a neutral, only slight disparaging way (usually in reference to the obstreperous Cleon), in its literal sense of “leader of the people.â€