How would "folksy" not be benign? Many described Clinton as "folksy" and his offices as more "casual".
The words are almost interchangeable. I'm just working with language here and don't really care that the President spoke with some Senators in such an impromtu and informal manner.
Give me a way to use "folksy" in some way that isn't benign.
I think that in bush's case, it has been used to gloss over the fact that he is a blithering moron. Whenever he pulls one of his world famous verbal boners, or goes on one of his infamous tears that are actually incoherent, he is "folksy".
He's not folksy. He's a multi-millionaire from one of our country's most elite families, raised with a siver spoon who never had to work for a damned thing. He's not folksy. He's an idiot. A baboon. A buffoon.