An interesting take on the trump phenomenon-
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal-a/2016_02/postpolicy_republicans_gave_us059693.php
Post-policy Republicans. They haven't needed any policy other than to oppose Democrats. Not just the party of No, but the party of no responsibility & no answers, either. They're now the party of fear & resentment so it's only fitting that Donald should lead them.
The Republican party was effectively shut out of government policy making from 1932 until the mid 1980s/early 1990s. They existed as a opposition party for close to 60 years, so no wonder they rallied around the "government is the problem" mantra.
Over the past 20+ years, they've been in charge of the House and Senate for the majority of the time, even rocking out with their waterboards out in the White House, running the entire Fed'rul gub'mint. And they had shit to show for it, except devastating terrorist attacks at home, failed wars abroad, and a flooded city.
So a lot of them scraped off their Bush/Cheney bumper stickers. Many started calling themselves Independents or Libertarians, with a few of the more rabid believers taping tea bags to tricorner hats and saying clearly insane things about whatever anyone allowed them to say, while off their thorazine or not in the presence of a responsible adult guardian.
Add in Citizens United, and boom, there goes the dynamite. Since 2010, the Republican party has basically become just been a brand name under which to market yourself. In 2012, the donor class (establishment) was able to co-opt the tricorner hat wearing lunatics at the last moment and vomited up Mitt Rmoney, aristocrat extraordinaire. He flopped, against a Muslim Kenyan Atheist, no less.
In 2016, the donor class attempted to vomit up another aristocrat, Jeb(?), but this time the base had an option that didn't need to get funding from the oligarch donors, because the oligarch himself decided to run.
Add in Strongman language, and sprinkle in a little populist rhetoric, and viola.
Here we are.
