As I already pointed it out in another thread, one of the main problems with the 'populist' designation is that by design its meaning is inherently negative. And that negative meaning is attached to the 'populus', to the people, the 'plebs'. Implicitly this means that the alternative -- the positive -- is the opposite of the 'plebs', the 'people', the populus', namely, the (political, intellectual and economic) elite.

Another implied aspect of this label, intentionally conceived as negative and denigrating, is that the 'people', the 'populus', the 'plebs', only becomes acceptable, if it accepts the standards and the ideology of the 'elite'.

In short, all this is is just another disgusting word-game, designed to pigeonhole, label and dehumanise human beings who do not fit into certain people's ideological straitjacket. (Of course, this is done out of pure love and respect, and has nothing to do with hate. :))) )