Populism is to (small d) democracy like a popularity contest is to a job interview. Populism asks "which candidate do I like more" while democracy depends on asking "which candidate will perform the job the best."
That’s a weird (but revealing) comparison, because it makes it seem like there’s some too-down HR or manager deciding what the job criteria are what constitutes good job performance.
What elites call populist voters are picking the candidate that they think will do the best at the job they want done.
