Donald Trump grew up in New York, not some rural area in the South. He likes golf, not NASCAR. He isn’t a Baptist; in fact, he knows nothing about Christianity. He lies and swears constantly. He has been divorced twice, and boasted about his sex life in the tabloids. He inherited a fortune, and screwed lots of people over to make it larger. He owned casinos. He used bone spurs and connections to avoid serving in the military. He has nothing but disdain for people he considers unsophisticated–just ask Jeff Sessions. And yet, as he says, he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue in broad daylight, and his mostly rural and Christian base would stand with him. Why?
Two reasons. First, he projects strength with his swagger, which reassures people who are constantly told by right-wing media that their values and way of life are in imminent danger from the ruthless blue bad guys. Second, he constantly reminds the base that he is on their side by attacking (in pungent language that they appreciate) their common enemies–foreigners, and the condescending liberal coastal elites who send their jobs to China and tell them they’re bigots and idiots. The more he appears to be under threat, the more the “victimized” base relates to him.
All of this is a fraud, of course. Trump’s “strength” is just ignorant bluster, ego, and capriciousness.. He doesn’t share their values; in fact, he despises them. He’s the furthest thing possible from a self-made man. And yet, it all works for him as a result of skillful marketing. Future would-be GOP leaders have undoubtedly taken notice; you can expect more of this style of politics (but without the unique foibles) in the years to come.