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Other than his groupies, he really is despised by many who consider him dangerous.
Many others just consider him a goofy childish clown.

Maybe Trump is a clown, maybe he isn't. What I find disturbing is how many people here and in the rest of the country are so easily fooled into believing that their candidate is NOT a clown. Every Republican candidate this year (and of course, all the Dems) was a clown with the possible exception of Carson, and he was mever taken seriously. The difference between them and Trump is that the rest (except Carson) spent serious time trying to polish their public persona, in EXACTLY THE SAME WAY THAT ACTORS PRACTICE THEIR LINES. Trump is actually refreshing in that he does NOT have that slick, polished feel (and neither did Carson, heh). If merely projecting a false persona with a lot of political buzzwords and reams of useless statistics is what constitutes a "mature" politician these days, I'll take Trump the Clown any day. At least when something ridiculous pops into his head, we'll know, because he'll SAY it, whereas a used car salesman like Cruz will hide it as best he can.

Whether he is a clown or not, Trump seems like the only one that a regular Joe would want to sit down and have a beer with. It's not because he is some God-like genius, but because he doesn't seem to have the multiple layers of subterfuge that define virtually every other politician. Perhaps that's why the reaction to Trump by some is so visceral - some people DEMAND to be bamboozled. Rather than accept a flawed but capable man, some people would rather be willingly deceived to believe their candidate is perfect and above everyone else.

>>> whereas a used car salesman like Cruz will hide it as best he can.

You are right that hiding their true positions is a revered trait in a politician called “message discipline.” All it does is promote corruption, since any evidence that a pol’s private views/life does not match his public persona is embarrassing at least, and blackmailable at worst. Trump without teleprompter is indeed refreshing.

I pretty much assume all politicians are essentially clowns on some level.

Trump has been grooming his persona for decades, at least in the NYC area. He was Howard Stern all the time pushing his misogynistic playboy persona, he used to show up all the time on local news shows. He used to be seen at all sorts of NY sports events and concerts. I met him at Shea stadium - he sat right in front of us. He's a nice guy.

But he knows how to sell his persona as a very rich playboy good guy - and he probably is. But that's not really what I'm looking for in a president. A hard partying, good bowling butcher might also be a great guy, every salty old fishing boat captain I've met have been great guys. My best friend since kindergarten is a NYC union guy who goes to a lot of country and blues shows with me - great guy. But none of them are what I want in a president. I want an ideological conservative with a plan to shrink the size and role of government in my life. I don't know if that's Cruz, but I know it ain't Trump.

“...The difference between them and Trump is that the rest (except Carson) spent serious time trying to polish their public persona, in EXACTLY THE SAME WAY THAT ACTORS PRACTICE THEIR LINES.”
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Many fine posts in this thread (including the one about Wisconsin) but this is among the best! I think you have nailed it. That’s why Trump so easily dispatched his challengers. Most were acting, reading talking points from a notebook they have read from in front of the mirror for months, or years.
Trump had no script. It totally flummoxed them all.

I still have this picture of Jeb looking imploringly at the moderators for help, with this panic stricken look on his face, when Trump actually attacked him as weak and low energy. This pampered guy had NEVER been spoken to like that in his life, and his reaction was sheer terror and disbelief. And he never went over 2%.

Whether he is a clown or not, Trump seems like the only one that a regular Joe would want to sit down and have a beer with. It's not because he is some God-like genius, but because he doesn't seem to have the multiple layers of subterfuge that define virtually every other politician. Perhaps that's why the reaction to Trump by some is so visceral - some people DEMAND to be bamboozled. Rather than accept a flawed but capable man, some people would rather be willingly deceived to believe their candidate is perfect and above everyone else.

That is very spot on.

CGato