When did "manifesto" become a good thing?

WSJ pans Romney's economic plan "a technocrat's guide more than a reform manifesto.". While its true Romney's plan is terrible (for many reasons including it wants to do stuff that's basically impossible), it strikes me as amusing that the WSJ wants a "manifesto" instead of a technocrat's guide. But, no, they're not ideologically driven and divorced from economic reality at all.