One reason for Trump’s popularity is the “what have you done for me lately” effect. Over the years we’ve all been witness to and have even supported Republican candidates who, when they started out, were conservative, but went to Washington and within a term or two, moderated their views to the point where they just folded into the establishment wing. Hacks are not born – they are made.
This is why Trump didn’t get buried over the John McCain dust-up. McCain was a war hero and Reagan revolutionary. Now he’s a hack, and it’s how most voters see him. What has McCain done for us lately?
Heck, even some of the most rabid leftist Democrats started their national political careers far right of where they are now.
For example: Recall Harry Reid’s anti-illegal immigration floor speech that sounded a lot like The Donald, or Mark Levin, or me. In 1993 he even introduced a bill to “clarify” the 14th Amendment.
Here is some text from it:
…the Congress has determined and hereby declares that any person born after the date of enactment of this title to a mother who is neither a citizen of the United States nor admitted to the United States as a lawful permanent resident, and which person is a national or citizen of another country of which either of his or her natural parents is a national or citizen, or is entitled upon application to become a national or citizen of such country, shall be considered as born subject to the jurisdiction of that foreign country and not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States within the meaning of [Section 1 of the 14th Amendment] and shall therefore not be a citizen of the United States or of any State solely by reason of physical presence within the United States at the moment of birth. S.1351, Sec.1001
And son of a gun if Reid didn’t have it exactly right. I guess he really does know his Constitution – or did, when he wrote: “shall be considered as born subject to the jurisdiction of that foreign country and not subject to the jurisdiction of the United States…”‘
Why doesn’t some conservative senator reintroduce this bill, word for word, and watch the fun?
But conservative voters have never witnessed the flip side – where a candidate has, in the past, been a lot more liberal, only to transform into a conservative. It just doesn’t happen that way. This is the reason his supporters are giving him a pass on a variety of past transgressions.
Therefore it rings hollow to many voters for politicians and pundits to announce that Trump is no conservative. I think, if pressed, most voters would agree that Trump may not be the Constitutional conservative they would prefer, but the voters are visibly angry, and see Trump as the living embodiment of that anger.
But it’s not just the anger. First and foremost – voters want an outsider. They also want and need a fighter — but not a quiet or reserved fighter, otherwise Ben Carson might be number one. They want a vocal and outspoken fighter. And not just one who’s outspoken, but speaks like they do – in plain English, faults and all — complete with the ums and uhs that go with normal speech.
Politicians have a manner of speaking that just sounds phony – mainly because it is, more often than not. Even if their message is genuine, no one will believe them because they sound like used car salesmen – and my apologies to used car salesmen. It all just sounds so practiced – so polished – so memorized and scripted. And that’s because it is. Their wizards-of-smart handlers no doubt tell them to make sure they hit all the contrived bullet points: created jobs, cut taxes, blah, blah, blah.
Voters are tired of the boilerplate, and have finally found a “normal” guy, who speaks plain old American English and who is afraid of nothing and no one. No topic is taboo, and for Trump, there is no “third rail” one must avoid at all costs. He attacks any perceived threat, male or female. He appears to answer to no one and just doesn’t give a crap.