Trump is a problem for the GOP

Entertainment value has never been considered a qualification for the office of the presidency.
Then again, there are plenty of us who have never found Donald Trump particularly entertaining.
Yet here he is, on the biggest political stage the country has to offer, making thoughtful Republicans cringe, providing boatloads of material for late night comedians and creating logistical headaches for his rivals for the GOP nomination.
Put yourself for a moment in the shoes of one of the other — the many other — Republican candidates.  There you are, trying to attract the attention of voters and the media, trying to shape a message that could hold up during a campaign. And several times a week The Donald spouts off something that is either outrageous, wacky, offensive or all three. That may not get him votes when the primary season rolls around, but it does get him the attention he craves.
If you are a competing candidate, there are only so many times you can assert that you disagree or that he doesn’t speak for the party. After awhile, that merely helps turn the spotlight back onto Trump.
Campaign strategists are probably advising that the Trump phenomenon be ignored, suggesting that like any other gasbag this one will run out of steam. But then Trump will say something so ridiculous or so damaging to the party’s efforts to expand its base and — like it or not — a response is required.
It is simply a no-win situation.
And it might not get any better when the GOP presidential debates roll around. Best-case scenario for the Republicans: Donald Trump implodes once and for all.
The worst-case scenario? That’s easy: He wins the nomination. — J.R.