The eGOP responds to attacks like the "PC" country-club gentlemen insurance salesmen that they are, and that has come at a cost.
The GOP has lost the popular vote in 5 of the last 6 presidential elections.
If Bush 43 was called a Nazi or McCain was called a racist, or Romney was called a murderer, they just smiled and went on their way.
Even if I disagree with Trump half the time (I do), I'd still crawl over broken glass to vote for him just because he's the first Republican candidate in my lifetime who hits back harder. Trump winning the nomination would be a better lesson to the eGOP than Republicans losing the general election again, which doesn't seem to bother them.
NONE of us...in this country have ever seen anyone like Trump. The guy speaks for us. I think Reagan when he ran California was much the same, and also when he ran against Ford, but lost. By the time he was in office he had toned down a bit, Trump is really appealing to all groups.
You know how you can tell? Because, you have these Hollywood types, comics, underground blacks, (eg We Be Sisters, and the CommonSense guy) all for him.