No one ever wants to suffer a terrible indignity.

[Solly Mack]

7. None of the primary candidates for the GOP offered a better alternative

Not really. But at least some of them offered a modicum of cover to exert a veneer of legitimacy as a serious candidate. Not really an improvement at the core, but republican voters would have least shown some semblance of intelligence.

Trumpism isn't a true populism, it is the ebullient embrace of ignorance. Same with Palin and the entirety of the Tea party.

That chip on the shoulder might offer a sense of security but the price for keeping it in place will ultimately prove a downfall.

Republican voters carry such a big chip they have ordained it a cross and wear it like a religion.