Is Trump the New Buchanan?

While Republicans try to make sense of Donald Trump’s success in the polls and his seeming invisibility when it comes to the negative effects of bad press, Trump is slowly becoming the Teflon candidate because nothing sticks.

From Trump’s assault on Free trade to his anti-immigration stance, there is little he can say or do that will cause his stock to fall when it comes to public opinion. Trump’s supporters think his boorish behavior is a sign of authenticity — a leader who can channel the rage of those who feel betrayed by the elite or left behind by social change.

As of Monday, Trump is still leading in the polls with 21%, only further proving a good portion of the population share Trump’s sentiment. Heading into fall and just over a month before hitting the one year mark until Election Day, Trump’s shenanigans on the campaign trail have caused traditional Republicans to fear Trump’s staying power in the race to the White House.

In the past, America has flirted with populists over traditional Republican candidates, but none has won a major-party presidential nomination since William Jennings Bryan in 1908. In 1996, Pat Buchannan came close winning the New Hampshire primary, but later lost the nomination to establishment candidate, Bob Dole.

Known as Pitchfork Pat, he has been a DC outsider since leaving the White House in 1987. Pat Buchannan’s populist philosophy attracted remarkable support in various Republican circles. However, Buchannan was unable to find any staying power as a result of his laser focus on cultural issues which ultimately limited his appeal. Unlike Buchanan, Trump is using a broad based economics case as a way to appeal to voters.

As a result, Trump has found himself comfortably sitting atop the polls and has become the media darling thanks to his unfettered commentary and jester-like antics of mocking his opponents. It’s too early to tell if Trump will be able to cinch the nomination, but one thing is for certain, Trump’s appeal isn’t showing any signs of slowing down.