I think the ranting and swearing help -- they make him more memorable, and therefore more generally well-known. This can then feed on itself a bit to make him m

I think the ranting and swearing help -- they make him more memorable, and therefore more generally well-known. This can then feed on itself a bit to make him more of a public "celebrity" and have more pull than he would otherwise. I agree that his other skills are likely more important overall, and there are certainly other ways to be memorable, but I don't think you can discount the contribution of the ranting.