Yeah, I identify as a paleocon, and Trump is better from the small government side of things as opposed to Hillary. Both are authoritarians, but I do think Trump would be somewhat better. It's true that hating him is almost just, "All the cool news sources kids are doing it." It's just one big meme.
The way I see it, he takes the most outrageous position he can, and if it helps him with the demographics he wants, he sticks to his guns, and if it doesn't he slowly walks it back over the next few interviews. He and Pence are keen on the touch-back deportation (You gotta leave! ...and then you can come back legally.). I'm hoping he gets a good budget slasher in his cabinet/advisers, because the debt could get very bad, very fast if the conditions are right. But I still trust the odds of that to be better with Trump.
Worst comes to worst, we stomach 4 years of either of them, and then maybe a Ron Paul type guy shows up and makes some waves. If Trump wins, it'd be harder to give somebody else the nom in 2020, but Regan almost got Ford in 1976, so who knows?