``We appear to be living in an era where reality TV stars are now able to trade their popularity on TV for popular support.`` 

Well, you took your time reaching that conclusion, Deeply.  What do you mean, ``now``? The era marked by TV stars ``trading their popularity`` begin in 1967, when the former host of Death Valley Days and dramatic TV guest star (Lux Video Theatre; Dick Powell Show; Wagon Train, etc.) ran for Governor of California.  Half a century is a heck of a long era. 

Cannot argue with your concluding statement, Deeply.  Although there`s nothing new there, either.  People have been attracted to ``a strong man figure`` for as long as those `figures`have been attracting a crowd, be it to the edge of a muddy field,  a soapbox in the city square, the back of a train, inside an arena or--now--on-line, on the  phone people hold in their hands, just anywhere at all...