A POB issue, but the following ***[extract][1]*** from the New York Times offers some good points: 


> ***Folks is a homogeneous social group as contrasted with the individual or with a selected class,”***  according to Webster. It originated from the Old English “folc,” or “people,” and expanded in the 19th century to incorporate the concept of “folklore,” which included a sense of passing along a common narrative.

Early usage of "folks" in politics: 

> ***“Folks” made occasional political appearances in the early 20th century, often in the form of “just folks” — “just” underscoring the attempt at humility.***  In a Times account of President Warren G. Harding’s 1923 trip to Denver, he was commended for his accessible manner. “He was ‘just folks’ and people liked his ways,” The Times concluded. A clip from 1932 described F.D.R.’s campaigning in New York for the future governor Herbert Lehman. “All was neighborly, homely, informal; from dairy farmer to governor, from garden trickster to lieutenant governor,” The Times reported. “Everybody was just folks.”

More recent usages and current connotation of "folks":

> ***In recent decades, “folks” has become more of a politician’s crutch.*** As Favreau noted, it solves the problem of how best to refer to any collection, assembly or generic mass. 

Alternatives abound but can be problematic: 

>***“The American people” was an old standby, as in “the American people are sick and tired of so-and-so.” But this can seem a little presumptuous, especially as the population has grown more diverse, globalized and splintered.*** “The People” (as in “power to the people” or “we the people”) enjoyed an uprising in the ’60s and ’70s. Backlash ensued: “Unfortunately, I Do Not Identify With the People,” said a headline over a 1972 Times column by Kathryn R. Bloom. “The People is the little guy. The People is honest. Decent. Sincere. Simple, even. The People is fed up.”
>
> ***The People*** — evidenced by its capitalization — was at least meant to be a term of collective empowerment. The People is an awesome, singular force; as opposed to “the little guy,” which was Harry Truman’s favorite, or the “common man,” preferred by F.D.R. Today, neither would suit the inflated self-involvement of baby-boomers, let alone millennials.


  [1]: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/21/magazine/folkwisdom.html?_r=0