"Verklighetens folk"--liberal or conservative concept?

The Christian Democrats of Sweden called themselves "verklighetens folk" during the election. They mean by this that the intellectual left is ostentatious and that a painting should be more like a photography, or understandable. They are the real people, the common man. The concept did not work. The party in question performed badly in the September election this year.

There is a classic example used in political philosophy concerning this concept. Is it equally good to play push-pin and to read poetry? Jeremy Bentham said yes John Stuart Mill said no. According to liberal self-determination each person should be able to select what he believes is good for him. A complex ridden personality might not stomach having an own opinion concerning push-pin or poetry. The community might have required of the Christian Democrats to select poetry because it was more high class?

Was this the reason for why the concept back-fired on the Christian Democrats because they appealed to the liberals rather? After all, it is very liberal to do what you think yourself is good for you and not necessarily what the community desires or think is fancy.

Another example that might become very important in the future is what they call "health fascism" in Sweden. Apparently the cost of obesity in the US is some $150bn per year. Michelle Obama, the first Lady, is campaigning against childhood obesity. Being fat is not good for your health and this is a load on society. Will the community start to require that you don't eat too much. Perhaps an electric shock every time you transgress?

When I came to the US in 1984 the tobacco companies adamantly supported smoking. They claimed that there was no proof of causation for lung cancer. Nowadays here in Sweden you can't even smoke in a bar. When are "they" going to go after the chubby people?