What I find most interesting is the continued support Trump has of his followers, mostly Christian-conservatives. He has maintains his 35 to 40 percent approval rating regardless of his lies, cheating and claims of self-importance. He has violated every moral rule in the book, with the possible exception of murder, and the Christians still flock to his cause. One must question the collective wisdom of the religious-right who believe that Trump was ordained by their God.

Another reason: The “Trickle Down” tax cuts, plus austerity policies, plus no significant wage increases for workers over 40 years have decimated the middle class and working people. They are scared, and their fears exploited. Divisive and demonizing speech blaming immigrants, Mexicans, Muslims, etc has diverted their understanding that their issues are Policy driven — the same policies the people (Republicans) they voted for have put in place.

I think much of the appeal was that he was not a politician, this seemed to go q long way with people I talked to. They did not seem to realize that business at his level is all politics.

It is also the result of a failing capitalist system.. where the promises of a better lives for everyone was reinforced by a CON AND CORRUPTED man with lies and verbal attacs toward the media . IT IS NOT GOING TO END UP WELL

Lots of the American public were sick of the same old thing in politics. Well, they got something different. I thought they might have concluded that this was a lot more different than they expected and shown this in a blue wave. But I was wrong.

Sounds accurate as far as it goes. But an important fourth, supplemental reason was the extensive disinformation campaign, both smearing his primary opponents and HRC and also burying legitimate critical stories against Trump.
But I agree, that element only had as big an impact as it did because a big portion of the electorate was already primed to believe the worst about Hillary and to be dazzled by a brash tv personality. The Televangelist effect, perhaps. Trump intentionally gave them spectacle to con them. When one is eager to believe vast Satanic forces are all around, in the form of socio-political opponents, the ol' powers of critical thinking are not exactly healthy.