The idea of Necker was much more popular than what Necker actually did. Early on, Necker managed to be very lucky in terms of timing, which allowed others to shoulder the blame for the dire financial straits of the ancien regime. Necker also had fairly egalitarian ideas, so he was seen as being "for the people" for a time.

In his first go 'round as Minister, Necker published the Compte rendu, which was a pretty amazing feat of transparency at the time. It was widely distributed and read, giving everyone a sense of the fiscal shape of France under Necker. The only problem is that it didn't report all of France's expenses (ordinary vs. extraordinary expenses), so while the book made it seem as though France was in surplus, it was actually in debt.

When Calonne took office and realized the extent of the problem, he was forced to propose fairly drastic measures. The transition from being told one thing by Necker and another thing by Calonne made people suspicious of Calonne--why should I agree to your new tax when I just saw the ledger and you have a surplus of 10 million livre? After his dismissal, Necker busied himself with attacking Calonne through pamphlets, furthering his reputation as a minister of the people.

Necker was brought back by popular demand and did advocate some populist ideas, like doubling the third, but he was ultimately vague about whether or not the Estates Generale would vote by head. Necker was a pretty good banker--he rose quickly through the ranks of his first job--but not the genius, or perhaps magician, that would have been required to steer France out of its fiscal crisis.