The optimist in me wants to agree (and hopes organizations like Lessig's and Wolf-PAC are successful in this regard), but it's hard to see how it happens now.
My own personal hypothesis is that Americans have it too good, generally speaking. Even the poor live pretty decent lives, compared to what other many people around the planet endure.
It's not great, but it's pretty good in the grand scheme of things. The people aren't discontent enough to bring about real change. But I feel that if the right populist leader and movement arises, there might be chance for a changing of the guard. The president himself doesn't really affect much, it would have to be complemented with a voting in of many other populist representatives as well, so that real reforms can be made.
So.. I think things have to get worse before they get better. From my own personal experience, this is what sparked many things in communist Poland. I was very young when this was going on, but the sentiment across the country is one I saw in my parents. There were tanks in the streets, this was definitely something worth fighting for. Or just getting the F out for, which is what my parents risked doing.
There are no tanks in American streets and there is plenty of food in the stores, there are no lines for meat (every time), mandated food stamps, limited monthly beef supplies, the country is not subjugated by another nation and there is actual freedom, of movement, religion, expression, you can pay a lady to do things to you in vegas in a quasi legal way, or open your own business and try to join the 1%. America is pretty much paradise, to get enough momentum for a fundamental change in how society is structured you will usually need..
a lot worse than paradise for people to get annoyed enough to.. actually all start working towards real change and opposing the status quo in any way they can. When you have momentum like that, anything can happen, and unfortunately this often releases an energy of .. violence... of some sort. I don't feel that is ever going to happen in America, because the standard of living will just never drop low enough for people to care enough. There are major problems with a lack of a social safety net, and that annoys people, but that strikes people in a less systematic way. You need a large part of your community to have to experience BS firsthand for everyone to agree that a change needs to be made. And that
does happen in America, but it's incredibly geographically isolated.
The whole country or at least
large chunks of the country need to all unite in a single voice. Right now in America such a voice is not possible, because people are convinced that they are either Liberal or Democrat.. or independent. People who should be united in a single voice for populist reasons are standing against eachother.
In America it's going to have to be a case of an ideological movement, which weaves its way into American society in some way. The way things are set up, it's going to take a lot of time , effort, and money. It's going to take a lot of people and a lot of their time and effort.. and some of them are going to have to be millionaires and billionaires. There is a way to vote in populist leaders, but everyone is convinced that politics means Republicans vs Democrats.
you get pac money, endorcements, volunteers, etc. If you don't comply with his wishes, you get no money for your reelection campaign and maybe you'll find yourself up against a well-financed opponent in the primaries. 
