At one point, Hugh Johnson referred to Huey Long (one of America's great demagogues) as a combination of "Peter the Hermit, Napoleon Bonaparte, Sitting Bull, William Hohenzollern, the Mahdi of the Sudan, Hitler, Lenin, Trotsky, and the Leatherwood God" (emphasis mine).
What I don't get is how Sitting Bull's name got in there. Was Sitting Bull a demagogue? Or was this simple anti-Native American sentiment?
The definition of "demagogue" I would use (from Michael Signer) is:
As a follow-up, I would note that even if he meets these criteria, it doesn't make it fair for Johnson to lump Sitting Bull in with Hitler or Lenin. I'm skeptical that would be a valid comparison, but let's humor Johnson. If we treat his comparison in the most charitable light possible, is there any validity?
fair for Johnson to lump Sitting Bull in with Hitler or Lenin.
This looks to be a misreading on your part, perhaps because most readers are more familiar with those two cases than with some of the other names? It's also hard to see, from your text, why you would bring Signer into this?
What do all those figures have in common? Let's start with 'the leatherwood god.' https://archive.org/details/leatherwoodgodac00tane He was actually a real figure: showed up, proclaimed himself, and (to the point) more than a few accepted him, and followed him, in the face of all rationality. Fascinating story, really... flip to page 18 for his first appearance.
Then there's Peter the Hermit. Started the pauper's crusade, or was rumored to have done so: "In March, 1096, he led one of the numerous bands going to the East; his enthusiastic eloquence is described by the chroniclers. He arrived with his army at Constantinople 1 August, 1096. After a toilsome march as far as Nicomedia Peter pitched his camp at Civitot, and seeing his army without resources returned to Constantinople to solicit help from the Emperor Alexius. During his absence, the crusaders, commanded by Walter the Penniless, were massacred by the Turks near Nicaea (Oct., 1096)." http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11775b.htm
Thgen there's the Mahdi of the Sudan. Led a briefly successful military endeavor and died shortly afterwards. Also, tried to restructure the Pillars of Islam: http://webs.bcp.org/sites/vcleary/ModernWorldHistoryTextbook/Imperialism/section_6/resistance.html
So instead of 'demagogue,' maybe the category is 'mystical leader who enjoys some success before ultimate catastrophe?' Sitting Bull would fit there. So would William Hohenzollern, if he means William II. So would Napoleon, if we emphasize people's belief in him as a kind of mystical military genius. Even Trotsky would fit...