Populism: Why can't we use it?

[Hortensis]

25. Like playing with wildfire. Populist leaders are rabblerousers

by definition, trying to bring out and inflame the worst in people, while suppressing rationality and responsibility. The Republicans lost control of their populist movements, and if those ruthless bastards backed by almost limitless funds and a giant propaganda machine couldn't control what they started...

So hardly a surprise that populist leaders are naturally authoritarian and the types who should never be trusted with power. Successful ones typically betray their followers with secret goals and wreak destruction. Trump and Hitler are both examples.

True liberals are virtually never populist leaders, although many try to draw in populists and give them a more hopefully positive direction. Hillary tried, but her messages couldn't begin to compete with Trump's. Sanders's weaker populist appeal drew some away from Hillary, but he lost a bunch, including those famously resentful white working class men, to Trump's factory-whistle racism and misogyny.

Btw, I invite anyone to imagine Sanders managing to keep control the populist wave he's trying to start. I see him as operating well above his level of competence, and my question is who'd replace him with what goals?