I know this post isn't supposed to be political, but yeah Democracy is too abstract. Trumps message was negative, divisive but also simple and we have a clear indication that it really worked, he won not only the Electoral College but also the popular vote. Populists win because they tell people what people want to hear...
Yes. And negative weighs heavier than positive. People don't want to be cured of their ills, they want to have their suffering eased. This is especially true if they have to do something to be part of the cure.
And it is easier to blame someone else other than to look at ourselves and correct our own shortcomings to find the cure...