Pat Buchanan has some experience trying to influence Republican presidential politics, but he thinks Donald Trump has the chance to far outdo him.
Buchanan ran in the Republican primaries in 1992 and 1996, making impressive showings in New Hampshire with his conservative platform. But, unlike Trump, he was never the front-runner against President George H.W. Bush in '92 and Sen. Bob Dole in '96.
Trump should take his colorful, populist message into the debates, because that's what has given him double-digit leads over his closest rival, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Buchanan said Wednesday on
Fox News Channel's "Your World with Neil Cavuto."
Some candidates, including Bush, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry have openly criticized Trump for his brash style, but
the billionaire real estate developer has only gone up in the polls.
Buchanan warned that it could backfire on candidates if they are seen as picking on the popular Trump.
The public may laugh with or at Trump for some of the things he has said about illegal immigrants, Sen. John McCain's war record or Perry's glasses, Buchanan said, but when candidates begin calling on him to get out of the race it offends many people.
"It looks like everybody is baiting the bear, and people start cheering for the bear," he said.
In most races with an outlier such as himself, the establishment candidate eventually comes back from early losses and takes the nomination, he said. "This time the insurgent is the front-runner."
Buchanan predicted that Trump will have a hard time maintaining his current level of intensity, and as establishment candidates drop out after the early primaries they will throw their support to Bush or Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.
But Buchanan said his contemporaries are depressed about the direction of the country and like Trump's message.
"They see this guy comes in and says, 'I'm going to make America great again.' I don't know if they believe it, but they say, 'That's what I want to hear.'"
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