Why Trump is so popular

I’ll just come out with it. It’s because he has the same sort of charisma and personality as Teddy Roosevelt, which has great popular draw.

That’s right. Don’t laugh. I said it. Trump is a TR kind-of guy and his campaign offers a lesson for the Republican Party.

{mosads}Like TR, Trump is a two-fisted, bombastic rich guy who exaggerates his contributions, loves the fight, is charismatic, and who says he’ll do great things.

Like TR, Trump will offend his own class. TR broke up the trusts and his rich brethren never forgave him for it. Trump will impose higher taxes on hedge funds and Wall Street hates him for it. Who would have thought there was a billionaire that Wall Street hated!

And there’s plenty of bombast. Trump’s latest is that he would have prevented the 9/11 attacks with a tough immigration policy. One of TR’s critics once sarcastically congratulated him for being the discoverer of the Ten Commandments.

But TR’s bombast also came with great achievements, like the Panama Canal, breaking up trusts and preserving natural landscapes. He still ranks among the most popular U.S. presidents.

Trump is a natural TR-like personality. It’s not intentional mimicry, but just who he is. And his campaign has taught Republicans the value of authentic popular appeal, instead of cheap imitation and the lifeless repetition of vetted policy language.

What do I mean?

Presidential contenders often like to model themselves on past greats, but it can fall flat and be uninspiring.

The default model to emulate for Republicans is Ronald Reagan. The Great Communicator had such powerful resonance with the public that Republican contenders have tried to trade on his image and legacy ever after. It hasn’t often worked well.

In 2012, for example, there was a lot of chatter about Mitt Romney being the new Reagan. This was laughably unconvincing. Romney was about as authentic and charismatic as a store mannequin modeling back-to-school clothes for snotty rich kids.

Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wis.) tried most to channel Reagan in 2015, but was about as exciting to voters as a popped balloon is to a child. The New York Times ran an April 6, 2015 story on how he modeled his whole political life on Reagan. Walker even said he only remembers his wedding anniversary because it’s the same day as Reagan’s birthday! I guess Reagan was his first love.

Emulation of a past great is no sin, but it’s got to be authentic for it to work.

While Reagan’s acting background undoubtedly aided his ability to build his charisma, however, he didn’t mimic anyone. He was just being himself. So too with TR. He built his own image.

While Trump is just being himself as well, he resembles TR in an authentic way. His TV experience probably taught him well.

Not everyone’s happy with this. Trump’s aggressive bullying has unsettled some. And not everyone is swayed by him. One person’s charismatic leader is another’s bombastic windbag. Where’s the beef on policy here? Some say Trump isn’t a real conservative and want a candidate who walks in Reagan’s shadow.

Instead of trying to learn from Trump, however, his short-sighted enemies minimize him as a clown and are now morphing into a Stop Trump movement to bar his nomination. Trump must smell their fear.

But who would take his place? Jeb the joyful tortoise? The oddly happy, but deeply sedated, brain surgeon? Yet another store mannequin trying to be Reagan?

Even Walker partly justified quitting the primary to stop Trump, and urged others to join his suicide mission to narrow the field to candidates who might beat him. I guess Walker didn’t see himself as being that guy.

All of this fear and loathing, however, misses the point. Repeating conventional rhetorical republican mantras and being a politically vetted store mannequin isn’t energizing the public. Their dissatisfaction is too deep and varied. Trump has spoken convincingly to this with a resonant, two-fisted TR-like image.

If Trump learns to season his bully pulpit demeanor with some convincing policy talk, he might grow his popularity into victory and become as original a political figure as was TR or Reagan.

Gerace is a lawyer based in Worcester, Massachusetts.