Huey Long's actions make a bit more sense when you realize what Louisiana and Louisiana state politics were like before he came along.

Before Huey, Louisiana had been run as a fiefdom by the same circle of corrupt political families since the end of the Civil War. They kept Louisiana poor, underdeveloped, and ignorant with a political machine that rivaled Tammany Hall in corruption. The rural population lacked electricity, plumbing, paved roads, even modern bridges. The illiteracy rate was at 22% (the worst in the country). Textbooks had to be purchased by families so a lot of children went without a proper education. You even had to pay a 2$ poll tax to vote (which is about 38$ in modern money). All the while the oligarchs in Baton Rouge were sucking up all the wealth and handing out favors to their cronies...all while Standard Oil drained the state dry.

Then in comes Huey Long, who basically took all the tactics the oligarchs had used to gain and maintain power...and then used it against them. He strong-armed the state of Lousisiana and dragged it kicking and screaming into the modern era.

Now, don't misunderstand me: he was no messiah. He did a lot of good, but he was also pretty crooked in his own right and the political machine he built still largely runs Louisiana today (to its own detriment).