The Apprentices

“Trump is toast,” Pete Wehner, a former White House aide to George W. Bush, wrote in Commentary. He called the McCain flap “a tipping point for the Trump campaign.”

“He needs to be out of the race,” remarked Michael Needham, CEO of the conservative Heritage Action.

Trump is a “feckless blowhard” who is “unfit to hold office,” blasted an editorial in the Des Moines Register.

The voters beg to differ.

Once again, the establishment GOP and mainline media outlets are out to lunch.

Once again, the establishment GOP and mainline media outlets are out to lunch. A week after the above conventional wisdom saturated the political landscape, Donald Trump has proven he cannot only weather a media firestorm, he can use it to grow his base of supporters. A CNN/Opinion Research survey shows the billionaire real estate magnate favored by 18 percent of Republicans nationwide, ahead of Jeb Bush at 15 percent and Scott Walker’s 10 percent (Ted Cruz and Rand Paul are at 7 percent and 6 percent, respectively).

Trump’s strength is confirmed in other major polls as well, where he is either leading or close to the top in key states such as Iowa and New Hampshire. In an NBC/Marist survey in the “Live Free or Die” state, Trump polls at 21 percent, giving him a 7 point lead over Bush and a 9 point lead over Walker. In Iowa, Walker still leads but only by 2 percent, 19 to Trump’s 17 percent, with Bush trailing in third place at 12 percent.

A week after the Beltway consultancy class declared Trump’s campaign DOA, we see that the only thing flat-lining is their credibility.

The Bush-Clinton bromance is something out of a Nicholas Sparks novel.

The GOP intelligentsia overestimated how much affection voters have for Sen. John McCain of Arizona, whose POW status Trump insulted (then corrected) in a forum with GOP pollster Frank Luntz. At the same time, they underestimated how uninspired — and downright disgusted — many voters are by the prospect of another Bush running against another Clinton in 2016.

While most of the punditocracy thinks it’s cool that George W. Bush and Bill Clinton are besties, posing on the cover of Time magazine, it plays right into Trump’s hands. The Bush-Clinton bromance is something out of a Nicholas Sparks novel. The two former presidents are tight not just because they swap granddaughter stories and do philanthropy. Let’s face it, the Bushes and the Clintons actually agree on many of the major issues of the day — immigration, trade, Common Core, government surveillance, just to name the obvious.

The deepest bond, though, is in how the Clintons and Bushes view conservatives — as a problem to be dealt with, not a constituency to be served.

Trump, who has eschewed hiring big-time consultants, saw the vacuum and is trying to fill it.

In a recent interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, Jeb Bush revealed himself. “I think you have to be respectful of conservatives and you have to campaign hard to convince them you’re the right,” he said, “but there always ought to be an eye on the ball of the next group of people who are actually going to decide who the next president is going to be.” Conservatives are hurdles. The “next group of people” are the future. Hillary Clinton agrees.

Think of the bumper stickers: “Clush 2016: What Difference Does it Make?”

Would Hillary and Jeb on the same ticket really be such a wild idea? Since everyone’s sick of their names, we’ll create a new name — “Clush.” Think of the bumper stickers: “Clush 2016: What Difference Does it Make?”

If Trump disappeared tomorrow, there would still be a big chunk of Republican voters who believe the party is at war with them. There would still be millions who are disillusioned about stagnant wages, dwindling job opportunities, open borders, increased medical expenses, poorly performing schools, and a toxic culture.

Someone in the GOP better start thinking about what the Republicans are going to say to working-class Americans next year in the general election. My guess is that bragging about how you worked with Obama to pass fast-track trade authority won’t get it done.

Trump uses the theme of national greatness against the GOP.

The other thing our personality-obsessed media misses is how Trump uses the theme of national greatness against the GOP. His argument is that the country is in decline, and the GOP is abetting that decline by not putting forward candidates who know how to play hardball on the immigration issue and in trade negotiations with other countries. This argument drives a wedge between the globalists in the donor class and the nationalists in the base. And so far, no one in the GOP has managed to put forward a persuasive explanation as to how the GOP establishment can satisfy the concerns of both groups.

It should also be noted that Trump is the only candidate — in either party — who is at least talking about the issues presented by globalization (and I am not endorsing anyone here). For years, candidates in both parties have scrupulously ignored the simple question of how the United States can be a great and independent country in a globalized world where most U.S. policymakers are not willing to take actions that might offend our trade partners in Europe, the NAFTA region, and East Asia. As long as they continue to ignore this issue, they are giving Trump a lot of running room.