re: #27 lawhawk
Trump’s backers actively supported a know nothing whose positions were empty platitudes and made that a badge of honor. The GOP went all in on the know-nothing to reflect their base.
They attacked Hillary because she knew what she was talking about and could speak in more than a few words.
I recall that I was travelling in the summer of 2016 and had a layover in Atlanta, spent hours as the news stations showed an empty podium waiting for Donald Trump to appear. In the meantime, Hillary was giving a speech about better job opportunities for the handicapped.