While establishment Republicans and literary conservatives are beating their heads against the wall trying to figure out why Donald Trump is so popular, thousands if not millions of voters are screaming, because the reasons are so obvious.

Donald Trump is, frankly, dismantling the illusion of political correctness.

Yes, political correctness is an illusion. If you don't know that by now, you're not paying attention. Regardless of what happens in the next year, Donald Trump should be credited with pulling back the curtain and revealing the small, ugly, pathetic truth of political correctness and the balsa-wood platform it's built upon.

Donald Trump is uncouth and unsophisticated when he fires back at people who try to make him look bad or speak ill of him in any way. He doesn't apologize and he doesn't back down. And Americans love it. Why? We're tired of measured tones and consultant-filtered political rhetoric, yes. But most of all, Americans are tired of apologizing for what they believe. So along comes Trump, who "frankly," doesn't give a crap and fights back. Not only does he refuse to apologize, he doubles down and doubles his popularity. Are his insults reminiscent of a schoolyard scuffle? Absolutely. But you know what? He's firing back at his personal opposition, and it's a change of pace we can all enjoy.

After the likes of John Boehner and Mitch McConnell, who frankly crumble when someone says something bad about them (like the media), Donald Trump is truthfully refreshing.

Illegal immigrants and immigration are a problem, and Mexico will take my calls.

At his announcement speech, Trump talked about illegal immigration and specifically called out Mexico for not sending its best people. I don't need to rehash it here, we all remember the bullet points of what Trump said, and the figurative bullets fired at him for saying it. But did anyone ask if Trump's remarks were true, or did they focus on the audacity of Trump saying it? Demands for his apologies and coifed head came from all sides, again, because he SAID the words. But Americans knew Trump had a good point, especially Americans who live in border states and have begged the government to do its job by securing the border. Finally, finally someone wasn't worried about political blow back or the hispanic voting block, and instead seemed focused on getting the job done. What happened next? Illegal immigration became a focal point in the presidential election, Trump's numbers skyrocketed, and he rode the rising wave of popularity.

Whatever happens in the next year as the primary season advances, we'll always have the time Trump put Jorge Ramos in his place.

Frankly, Donald Trump is hilarious. Truthfully.

Not hilarious in the way Joe Biden is hilarious, when you smack yourself in the face and groan, knowing he's one heart beat away from leading the country. Trump is a showman and he knows how to please a crowd. Can you remember a presidential election that was this fun? Would you have believed a man running for president would ever mock Rosie O'Donnell or stand behind a quarterback for a deflated football scandal? If you'd asked me five years ago if I thought any of that would happen, I'd tell you to keep puffing on whatever you were smoking. Trump, by all political standards, should be a walking gaffe-machine like our esteemed VP Joe Biden. But Trump isn't the joke that Biden is. Trump is making the jokes. Some of the things I read about Trump saying sound like a Trump-parody. But rather than hurting his popularity, his involvement in pop culture, with simple insults and supporting Kanye West as a possible future political opponent, reaches a broader cultural base. The Republican Primaries have never been this entertaining. And it's likely there are people watching the debates who wouldn't have diverted their channels away from the latest reality TV show, just to watch the Trumpster in action. He should get big kudos for that.

Trump is "zagging" to popularity

There's a great marketing book called Zag which promotes a simple but successful marketing premise of "when everyone zigs, you zag." Much like Trump has dismantled political correctness, he's also shown the the traditional election formula can (and should) be tossed out. Republican presidential candidates at the bottom of the polling pool are sticking with their consultant formula: don't be harsh, don't be confrontational, don't upset the independents, don't upset anyone's feelings! And don't win.

Trump saw the formula, took a sniff of it, and tossed it out the window. It's almost as if Trump had the Robin Williams movie Man of the Year on repeat, running in the background on a television. On his private jet. If you haven't seen it, go rent it. The movie, not the jet.

To their credit, the other presidential candidates who are rising in the polls to catch Trump? They're also speaking out, they're also fighting back, they're going after Democrats and their policies. Here's looking at you, Cruz, Fiorina, and Carson. Keep on keeping on.

Truthfully now, is Trump perfect?

No, because no one is. Trump has many flaws which have been pointed out by many conservatives already. I'm not going to repeat them, they don't need to be repeated. Do I believe, as a woman, that Trump is a sexist? I think "sexist" is bandied about too liberally, frankly. Trump insults all people who insult him, regardless of their gender, race, political party, or their job. He supports and give accolades to people who praise him. It's simple and arguably a little childish, but I don't think it's sexist. Should he have mocked Fiorina's face? That's the wrong question to ask. The question should be, why did he insult her face? Answer: he had nothing else to insult. The same can be said about Ben Carson and Trump's insult of "He's just an OK Doctor." Why lob that insult, especially because it's not true? Those are the questions we should be asking, not whether or not Trump is a sexist or a racist (the liberals will do that anyway).

Regardless of how this all plays out, let's at least enjoy it...playing out. For the first time in a long time, the presidential candidates are competing for who can be the most conservative, and calling out each other for not being conservative enough. That's a victory, people. It's signaling a turning tide. We might have Trump to thank for it.

~Written by Courtney Kirchoff