Rob,
The American public has been rejecting European intellectualism since not long after the American Revolution; the Know-Nothing Party of the 1850's for example. That's why much of the world considers Americans to be unitelligent. Average Americans could care less about world affairs, speak only one language, don't read, don't appreciate the arts, have poor grammar and limited vocabularies, etc.
The repubs for at least as long as when Reagan took office have been using the dumbed down, "average American Joe" angle to reach the lower classes. That why we get the inarticulate, slow witted Reagan, Quayle, Bush2 types in office and along with them, the lame catch phrases and generalizations you mention.
This game plan works wonders on the average, anti-intellectual American and has proven to be a powerful manipulation tool in standard, classist, repub economics. Monarchies used to keep the poor in their place by force. Using the type of figure head that sounds like the your average hick neighbor is a diplomatic method of accomplishing the same goal.