Frank Rich On The Only Thing That Can Beat Trump

++In New York magazine,Frank Rich scoffs at the whole notion that the "universal outrage" over The Donald's anti-Moslem sentiments and statements will do him in. Like I have done, he points to the polls that show that every outrage The Donald commits his poll numbers get larger and that every Republican who criticizes him theirs sink. He was amused by Jeb's attacks on the Donald as 'unhinged" when Jeb is a low-energy guy with no moral authority. He points out that the Republican congressional leaders Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell criticized Donald but said that they would support him as a nominee. The same applies to Jeb that he would support the Donald over Hillary. 

++Rich says that only the voter can defeat the Donald and that may not be for a while. But then you have to look at the Republican Party, which Rich says its brand has been terminally damaged by the Donald because Trump is only saying out loud what the party faithful have believed for years. Jeb said of the Donald that he used "Dog-whistle" politics, a term only Democrats and the left use to describe Republican politics. 

++But Jeb is one to talk about dog-whistle politics since his brother with Karl Rove managed to suggest that John McCain fathered an illegitimate black child, which caused John to lose the South Carolina primary. John has never forgiven this breach of etiquette.

++My right-wing emailer sent an email about No Guard Rail politics that blamed the rise of Trump on the "lawlessness" of President Obama, who just ignores all criticism, and Hillary Clinton who threatens to rule by diktat,saying that "she hopes to get Congress to approve of her measures to go after corporate tax evaders but she would use executive orders with the Treasury Department to do so anyway". 

++There will be those who will blame Trump on Obama. Obama ridiculed Trump at the White House Correspondents Dinner and Trump's television show. President Obama used executive orders on immigration that proved "the justifiable outrage" of Trump's attacks on Mexicans. The beat goes on.

++But Rich, for his part, is right. The GOP is too frightened of Trump--his quick twitter or his threat to run as an independent to do anything. Only the voter can and maybe it would have to be in the general election.

++VOX asked six pollsters whether the Donald could win the presidency. All basically said no but conditioned their answers--except for an economic disaster or a terrorist attack where he could say "I told you so."  The likelihood of his general election win is close to zero. But they pointed out that his status right now was also not predicted. 
They point to a possibility of low poll numbers for Obama near next election,plus a feeling for change in the country, and a recovered economy but people don't feel it as producing a ripe moment for a Trump. His base supporters right now are white non-college educated males, who do not qualify for Obamacare subsidies,haven't gotten a raise, and are barely hanging on to being middle class,and looking over their shoulder at whether an immigrant is going to take their job.

++Curiously enough I have described Ted Cruz' ideal winning coalition as he explained that he was courting "Reagan Democrats"--who I figure must be 70 or over--but the type nonetheless.