Mark Leibovich asks in The New York Times Magazine: Should We Fear the Political ‘Crazies’? He writes:
You could argue that these are crazy times and there are thus worse things to be called than a ''crazy.'' The affiliation suggests an admirable passion and less risk-aversion, a willingness to disrupt. ... [A]s Trump is proving, there are clear benefits to being aligned with the crazies, especially in a Republican field so crowded that it can be difficult to get separation. While party leaders have criticized Trump for his ''tone,'' he flouts this very criticism as emblematic of a political status quo. Not only is he correct about that, it's arguable that the political status quo is itself a big bag of calcified crazy. The same ''tone'' - cautious and hyperdeferential - has dominated politics for a long time and yet our politics haven't improved.