Populism is always rooted in a conspiracy theory. Trump railed against the Elites and claimed he'd "drain the swamp". But he's appointed a cabinet of billionaires and more former employees of Goldman Sachs than Obama did.

Manning is an elitist. He's the son of a former premier. Though Manning mocks the CCF/NDP for not making it Federally, he doesn't seem to diss his father's Social Credit party for the same fault. Or his own Reform Party.

The Conservative Party of Stephen Harper was elitist to the max. It was, indeed, the Harper Party. And the disastrous leadership race that's happening just shows how lacking in ideas that "populist" movement was.

Populism is always a Them vs Us scam. Andrew Jackson was a thoroughly disgusting president who was sexist, racist and a slave-trader. That's why he's being removed from the $20. Manning knows this. But his populist movement has always had more Paul Fromms in it it than Francis Winspears.