He is all rhetorical gimmick, I just do not understand why those who vote for him do not see that.
Because they don't choose to see it.
I was somewhat forcefully (and uncomfortably) reminded of that this past weekend. My wife and I took her granddaughter for a sightseeing visit to a fairly large city. The son of an elderly (and now deceased) friend of mine lives in a 'burb of said large city, so for the sake of old times and memory of his mother we arranged to get together over dinner.
This chap is a liberal. I knew that. His wife is a PhD and an immigrant, so I had hoped that the disease hadn't infected her. Alas, it had. I was scrupulous in avoiding any comments or subjects that might provide any opportunity for the election to enter the chit-chat, but finally he came right out and asked me if I preferred Hillary or Obama. Both he and his wife appeared
shocked when I said I had no use for either, because they are both liars and do not stand for the Constitution.
They immediately assumed that meant I must be a McCain supporter. Once I explained that I am NOT a McCain supporter, and that I am by choice an unaffiliated voter because I do not believe that our two-party system serves either us or the Constitution, they simply didn't know what to do. It was obvious, though, that they are Obama-philes. He finally asked "But
why don't you like Obama?" I tried to explain that Obama is a man of no experience, no moral compass that I can see, and clearly (to me) in the pocket of the Illinois political machine, and that in good conscience (I thought that might get his attention -- wrong) I could not support such a candidate for President.
I thought he was going to cry. Really. Honestly. He just ... didn't ... know ... how ... to ... deal ... with ... it.
If he weren't his mother's son, which would have made it impolite, I would have burst out laughing.