Exactly, PMB.
That's all the stuff I was busy trying to formulate.
If Mr Manning really was, as you sugggest, simply exploiting the prejudices of the pig-ignorant to further his career, this is far worse than simply expressing his own views, however vile.

Giok: I've never watched The Office or Big Brother. Didn't feel the need.
Though the difference between BM's in your face blatherings and that sort of thing is that the latter presents a situation and allows the viewer to think and make up their own mind about the behaviour, whereas BM reinforced and encouraged such prejudice.
I know which is the more dangerous.