A populist is a person who is up for whatever the crowd wants today.
There are plenty of people whose religion is reflexive, not considered. If you ask them the most basic questions about their faith, they have no answers. Some of them even act as if having answers is suspect.
Is this a variation on Obama’s “they cling to guns and religion?”
No, it is precisely the opposite.
Millions of Americans believe in God because they have carefully considered Him and accept the truth of what He says. Not because they don't like their job or whatever reason Obama is giving.
And millions of Americans own weapons not just because they make cool loud noises, but because they see how essential a right self-defense is and how important it is to take responsibility for their own safety and that of the Constitution.
If firearm ownership is popular, a populist is all for it. If firearm confiscation becomes popular tomorrow, then he is all for that. He really hasn't given the matter much thought.
>>A populist is a person who is up for whatever the crowd wants today.<<
OK, now I know what you mean by that term. I think your meaning is different from the usual meaning, which is one who opposes the “elites.”
As I said before, as far as I can tell, that is an obscure definition I have not seen anywhere else. Using that definition though, after Rush Limbaugh wrote Populism Is Not Conservatism, one would have thought that the word "populism" meant worship of the devil, and it would be ironic how trendy it was on FR to condemn "populism." Yes, politicians can manipulate the public, but sometimes populism is a valid rejection of party or government BS. I am really getting off the thread topic here, sorry.