1. Trump’s strange behavior has done more to knock down the Planned Parenthood video story than all the ignoring and distorting of the liberal elites. I hope Planned Parenthood has sent their MVP a fruit basket, or a percentage of their baby organ money or something.

2. I still believe that Trump is going to fade. It won’t happen because people on television criticize Trump. It will happen when people who say they support Trump get tired of making excuses for him. That won’t happen when television personalities say that this or that outrageous comment is the “end” of Trump. It is much more likely to be a decentralized process where enough Trump supporters flake off so that his poll standing takes a major hit, he falls behind a couple of the other candidates, and the Trump thing suddenly seem like a lot less fun for the remaining Trump supporters – and Trump himself.

3. I think that Trump’s support has somewhat different roots than earlier delusional candidacies like those of Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich. The support for Cain and Gingrich was ultimately rooted in hope. Cain was the conservative, reformist, businessman who would fix government and restart the economy. Gingrich was the principled, genius orator who would bring Obama to his knees in debate. When those hopes were revealed to be illusions, support for Cain and Gingrich collapsed.

Trump’s support is rooted in despair. No one believes that Trump can or will fix anything. They do believe that Trump can outrage the right people. Jonah Goldberg wrote:

And, even if you yourself think Trump’s comments are funny or entertaining or not that big a deal or just a gaffe, at least ponder for a second about whether you think they will help Republicans win the presidential election.

I think that most of Trumps supporters have little interest in helping the Republicans win elections. I suspect that most of Trump’s supporters have given up on the hope of meaningful victories altogether.