People have been trying to figure out what Trump is all about. What makes him behave the way he does. What is an act and what does he truly believe.
Donald Trump is an amalgam of strange.
From his appearance, to his hand gestures, to his facial expressions, to his use of repetition in his speech pattern, to his pension for calling people by nicknames i.e.; (dopey, fat, crooked, Pocahontis), to his self aggrandizement. He does not acknowledge any faults or defeats. Any criticism of him is met with cries of conspiracy and fabrication of sources and facts. He claims that "people have told me" and "I have heard" and "everybody says", when he wants to make an unsubstantiated statement.
He is called a pathological liar, a sociopath, a spoiled narcissist. He feels that preparation for a business transaction, a deposition, or a debate, is beneath him. He can't resist tweeting invectives at all hours of the night or day.
Donald Trump stormed onto the political scene with a platform of immigration and law and order issues. He started his campaign with a call to "make America great again", and the claim that he is the strong man that can create jobs, defeat America's foes, weed out undesirables in our society, and make government work again.
All elements of this platform appeal to segments of our society that have had limited or no voice in the mainstream population or media. He started his initiation with the birther issue. His claim that Barack Obama was not born in the United States, immediately appealed to white, nationalistic, segregationist voters.
He left his lifelong membership in the Democratic party, at the age of 66, to be the standard bearer for his new form of populism in the Republican party. This group of angry, disaffected, non college educated voters, became and remain the core supporters in his campaign. He consistently utilizes dog whistles (coded language), to communicate with this base.
Add to this a large group of men and women who find an appeal in the real estate developer/reality T.V.performer. They see a strength and a confrontational value in what they perceive as his straight forward delivery of opinions. If his campaign is rooted in an alternative reality, they don't care.
He delivers his macho, discriminatory, misogynistic themes, with no regard for the consequences of his rhetoric.
Isn't it unfathomable that such a candidate could prevail in a general election. I think so, and yet the polls show a very close race.