Why is support for non-politicans stronger now than in 2012?

[TheElectoralBoobyPrize]

With regards to Republican primary voters that is.

There was the brief surge for Herman Cain in 2012, but that was nothing compared to the combined support for Trump and Carson (and Fiorina, I guess).

It really makes no sense because the Republican field is much stronger now than in 2012 when all the candidates were second-stringers (and yes even Romney was one...he only served one term as governor). This time, the field's a lot stronger with Bush, Rubio, Walker, Kasich, etc. You'd think Republican primary voters could find ONE politician they like.

[RFayette]

If Carson, Trump, and Fiorina ran in 2012, I bet they would have similar levels of support to what they have now.  "Outsider" is a very popular label in the GOP since the Tea Party Movement started. 

[Mister Mets]

Trump, Carson and Fiorina may be better to appeal to voters than Cain.

There could also be frustration with politicians after Republicans took back the Senate, and haven't done anything of note.

[Fuzzy Says: "Abolish NPR!"]

I think it's simple.  The rank-and-file voter is not exicted by the fare offered in the Ristorante Democratico or at the Café Du Republiquean.  They're being told what they should like, and their nominating contests are mirror images of little more than tests of ideological purity.  To top it off, the establishments of both parties are pushing candidates whose immediate family members are past Presidents (Bush and Clinton) and actually expecting folks to receive this uncritically.

Elites of both parties gave us the Iraq War; it was Bush's War, and he did most of the lying, but it came about with some degree of Democratic collaboration.  It was elites of both parties that gave us the Wall Street Bailouts (and rebels in both parties that opposed it), and while it may well have been the right thing to do, it hardly smacks of justice.  It was the elites of both parties that gave us the trade agreements that have exported our manufacturing jobs.  And through it all, real wages are declining and the gap between the richest and the rest of us is getting ever wider.

[Donald Trump 2016 !]

I think part of it is due to the fact that everyday working and middle class people feel like they're being talked down to when the news media discusses how much the economy is improving and that average (mean) wages are going up. Meanwhile people's livelihoods are barely improving since the financial collapse and median wages have remained stagnant even though productivity continues to increase.

More Americans are actually choosing to identify themselves as poor instead of middle class during this economic "recovery" (source: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/01/27/despite-recovery-fewer-americans-identify-as-middle-class/) People in both parties are mad at the establishment politicians for not cleaning up this mess and fixing the underlying problems contributing to stagnant wages. I believe this is the primary reason why people are still upset.

As for why 2016 instead of 2012....well maybe people like Carson/Fiorina/Trump feel more comfortable knowing that they don't have to run against a Presidential incumbent and the great campaigner that Obama is.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Romney is more competent than any of the establishment candidates running now, and Trump is more competent than any of the anti-establishment candidates running in 2012.

[Fuzzy Says: "Abolish NPR!"]

Romney is more competent than any of the establishment candidates running now, and Trump is more competent than any of the anti-establishment candidates running in 2012.

What he said.

[TheElectoralBoobyPrize]

Romney is more competent than any of the establishment candidates running now, and Trump is more competent than any of the anti-establishment candidates running in 2012.

How so?

[Abraham Reagan]

Republican voters are sick and tired of rhetoric coupled with inaction. The country is slipping away and they feel there's nothing they can do about it because the leaders they elected to fight this are going right along with it. The new Republican senate majority promised change. We still have Obamacare, we still have Obama's illegal executive action on immigration,  marriage has been redefined, and now we have the Iran deal which will probably be passed and upheld even if a Republican wins in 2016. Donald Trump represents voters who are tired of being called crazies and who want a champion who will hear and address their concerns. There is a psychological reason to go to Donald Trump, even though he may seem brash and dumb. HE EXUDES CONFIDENCE, and in a time when the American brand is looking tarnished, America needs confidence.

[RFayette]

Alpha males do well.  Contrary to what many on Atlas think, people don't vote or express preferences primarily based on a list of policy positions.  They don't judge a debate based on a list of logical arguments.  They're looking at the guy who's forceful, who stands for something, and who won't back down. They look at who sounds appealing on TV and who exudes a convincing message.   This is why some milquetoast bore like Kasich is thought to be the GOP winner here, when in reality, the alpha male Trump did quite well for himself.

[Figueira]

Alpha males do well.  Contrary to what many on Atlas think, people don't vote or express preferences primarily based on a list of policy positions.  They don't judge a debate based on a list of logical arguments.  They're looking at the guy who's forceful, who stands for something, and who won't back down. They look at who sounds appealing on TV and who exudes a convincing message.   This is why some milquetoast bore like Kasich is thought to be the GOP winner here, when in reality, the alpha male Trump did quite well for himself.

The other thing is that Atlas, being a political forum, is full of people who like politics. Therefore, people here tend to like people who act like politicians, whereas in the rest of the world, it's the opposite.

[Absentee Voting Ghost of Ruin]

Romney is more competent than any of the establishment candidates running now, and Trump is more competent than any of the anti-establishment candidates running in 2012.

How so?

To venture a guess - Romney looked better and had a better media presence on the national stage, and he also had a record as both a successful business executive and governor, plus his much-praised turnaround of the Salt Lake Olympics. While there are some decent governors on the Republican stage, none of them can match his accomplishments out of government.

[TheElectoralBoobyPrize]

Alpha males do well.  Contrary to what many on Atlas think, people don't vote or express preferences primarily based on a list of policy positions.  They don't judge a debate based on a list of logical arguments.  They're looking at the guy who's forceful, who stands for something, and who won't back down. They look at who sounds appealing on TV and who exudes a convincing message.   This is why some milquetoast bore like Kasich is thought to be the GOP winner here, when in reality, the alpha male Trump did quite well for himself.

The other thing is that Atlas, being a political forum, is full of people who like politics. Therefore, people here tend to like people who act like politicians, whereas in the rest of the world, it's the opposite.

I don't necessarily want a career politician for president....just someone with a track record in government. If every President up until now has been either VP, a governor, a general, a member of Congress, or a Cabinet secretary, I don't see why we can't make holding one of those jobs a basic requirement.

Romney is more competent than any of the establishment candidates running now, and Trump is more competent than any of the anti-establishment candidates running in 2012.

How so?

To venture a guess - Romney looked better and had a better media presence on the national stage, and he also had a record as both a successful business executive and governor, plus his much-praised turnaround of the Salt Lake Olympics. While there are some decent governors on the Republican stage, none of them can match his accomplishments out of government.

This last sentence might be the best answer...I guess "accomplishments outside of government" are important to Republican primary voters right now. One could even argue that with only one term as a governor that he really didn't discuss much except when attacked on Romneycare, Romney was more of a "non-politician" candidate.