Trump: Just Another Old Yeller?

It seems that GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump is always yelling about something or someone, getting into silly spats, asserting fuzzy facts, throwing temper tantrums, and evicting dissenters from his audience. He is full of boasts, brags, and bravado. His loyal minions cheer him and chant his name, and he relishes in their praise and glory.

It's all a re-run -- seen that, heard that.

Remember Wally George? He was a right-wing loud-mouth with bizarre hair, a Southern California TV personality with a big ego, who hosted a show called Hot Seat from 1983 to 1991. George's audience was primarily white males who would wave flags, wear t-shirts bearing his face and name, shout Wal-ly! Wal-ly!, and celebrate when dissenting guests were kicked off of the show. His set was decorated with iconic American images -- a flag, a framed space launch photo proclaiming "USA is #1," and a picture of John Wayne. If you are unfamiliar with his work, here is a sampling, where he too "fires up the crazies" (something Senator John McCain said about Trump):

Another conservative entertainer with a similar temperament was Morton Downey Jr., host of his own TV show in this late 1980's. Here's a taste of his work from a trailer of a documentary film about him, in which Downey asserts "My audience finally selected a spokesman that identifies with their needs and their dreams, and their frustrations," and concludes with him declaring "I don't apologize for anything!" Sound familiar?

I'll give credit to Trump for one thing -- he has managed to outdo both Wally George and Morton Downey Jr., as evidenced by this speech he made at a rally in Knoxville earlier this month. NOTE: the sound doesn't begin until Trump takes the podium at the 6:05 minute mark on the video -- although, all things considered, it may have been better without any sound whatsoever.