Is Hitler the only racist left?

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Please, do explain why populist parties are at best fringe parties.

If they supposedly hold the views of the majority of the population, the common man, then surely they would have the majority of the votes, right?

Or....Perhaps "the common man" actually favours something else...? Election results says he does.

Because mainstream parties try to portray them as dangerous fringe parties, because the people don't think that the populist parties will get elected, and because when the populist parties latch on to a big issue that threatens to displace the top few ruling parties those parties immediately take hold of that issue and begin to half-heartedly use it in their campaigns to prevent the populist parties from taking their votes.