As someone who isn't a native speaker of English, I think it's funny that the words "demagogue" and "populist" are invariably used to mean something negative. Literally a demagogue is a leader of people, and a populist a people-ist. What's so terrible and wrong about those? Nothing, really, unless you think there's something wrong with people.

This tells us a lot about the politicians, journalists and others who use these terms to insult those they disagree with. They just plain hate people. Well, except for intelligent and enlightened people like themselves, of course. Just everyone else. They find us, their subjects, revolting.

Now, I like people in general, but that doesn't mean I'm all that interested in being ruled by them. My view was nicely summarized by anti-democracy economist Arnold Kling yesterday when he wrote: "I have a fear of the masses that would rival David Brooks'. But I have a fear of the elites that is even stronger".