Broken guardrail #3 is the expectation that a presidential wanna-be have a solid grasp of public affairs.
The right seemed to feel that George W. Bush' dumb cluck moments made him more authentic than those smarty pants Clintons. The GOP base didn't bat an eye at Sarah Palin's ineptness, instead taking it as proof positive of her core decency.
According to a November 2015 Pew survey, a significant majority of Republicans think that knowing how to govern is overrated, that ordinary Americans are more likely to succeed at solving the nation's woes than the average professional politico. 62%! In March, post-Super Tuesday exit polls indicated that 80% of Dems wanted the next president to have governing experience, only 40% of Republicans considered it essential. 50% of polled Republicans were looking for an "outsider."
Per David Frum's article, The Seven Broken Guardrails of Democracy, conservatives differ from progressives in their high level of "bleak pessimism" & their utter refusal to compromise with opponents. Maybe it's that lack-of-smarts-is-good thing, the mentality that confuses hallowed with hollowed - as in trashing the economy in the name of standing up for a goal that was never going to happen.
Which explains why they appear to "value willpower over intellect, combativeness over expertise" - a core ideology that explains the rise of Donald Trump. If the Republicans want someone with no experience in governing & public affairs, if two of their defining characteristics are deep pessimism & an obdurate refusal to respect others, then HE's the guy for them.
And a 3rd guardrail is broken, pushed into a ravine.
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