Des Moines Iowa newspaper: Donald Trump should "pull the plug on his bloviating side show."

Iowa's largest newspaper, the Des Moines Register, is calling on Donald Trump to drop out of the Republican primary following his questioning John McCain's heroism.

An editorial in the paper said that an apology from Trump would not be enough.

"In just five weeks, he has polluted the political waters to such an extent that serious candidates who actually have the credentials to serve as president can't get their message across to voters."

Well, of course, the paper had me from the moment it's headline includeded my favorite disparaging word for politicians:   "bloviating."  I first heard it from the late, great Molly Ivins.
 
What we are seeing is that the Republican establishment and its pundits have decided that Trump is so damaging to the party that he has to be stopped before it's too late.   It's what they orchestrated in 2012 when Newt Gingrich suddenly caught fire and won the South Carolina primary.   The attacks from Republicans and conservative media were swift and fatal, his poll numbers plunged, and it was the end of his campaign.

One big difference is that Trump doesn't need donors;   he can keep going as long as he wants to pay for it himself.   We'll see.    It's likely that he will be in the first debate, which comes up in about 2 weeks.  The inclusion criteria are based on the average of three national polls, and I would think that would include the one just released that puts Trump in first place with 24%.

It's hard to imagine Donald Trump sharing the stage with 9 other contenders and keeping quiet while they have their turn at the mic.  Look for the August 6th Fox News debate to be a side show of epic proportions.    Which means more viewers = ad revenue and ratings.

Ralph