Donald Trump Keeps Winning. Here’s What Could Make Him Lose.

[Hiraeth]

The New York Times
by ALEXANDER BURNS

Donald J. Trump has snatched three straight victories, built a powerful lead in national polls and knocked several opponents out of the 2016 presidential race. His path to the Republican nomination looks wider than ever. But it could still contain pitfalls and roadblocks. Here are some of the ways he could still stumble.

Billionaires get into the game
Top Republican donors have shied away from confronting Mr. Trump, but at some point the party’s bankrollers may get serious about saving it from a man they view as a catastrophe. If they did, this could represent a serious threat to Mr. Trump. Imagine tens of millions of dollars in attack ads blanketing the landscape of primary states.
But while billionaires like Robert Mercer and Paul Singer have given generously to candidates, only one superwealthy clan, the Ricketts family, has given a few million dollars to an anti-Trump group. Even the conservative Koch brothers, who are seen as deeply resistant to Mr. Trump, have remained on the sidelines.

An alternative emerges
In a race that began with 17 candidates, Mr. Trump has benefited from deftly playing off his opponents against one another. With four left, he can still control the race with far less than a majority of the vote.
Neither Senator Marco Rubio of Florida nor Senator Ted Cruz of Texas is likely to give way willingly, or join forces with the other. And two long-shot candidates would still snarl efforts to unite the anti-Trump vote: Gov. John Kasich of Ohio and Ben Carson have plodded on despite their slim chances. But should the field suddenly dwindle to one or two rivals of Mr. Trump, perhaps after Super Tuesday, it would test the breadth of his support as never before.

Debates turn disastrous
Mr. Trump has staggered through the debates by sheer force of personality, at times inflicting real damage to himself in the process. In South Carolina, late-deciding voters rejected him after his volcanic attacks on former President George W. Bush in the final debate.
The stage may get even tougher for him starting Thursday night in Houston: He can no longer count on a large field of opponents to shield him from a formidable puncher like Mr. Cruz, or from Mr. Rubio, who is also seeking to break through.

more at link:
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/donald-trump-keeps-winning-here%e2%80%99s-what-could-make-him-lose/ar-BBpWZAt?ocid=spartandhp

[Warren DeMontague]

1. I think the only one who can stop him at this point is himself.

Like if he fucks up and sticks his foot in it so bad he cant recover.

But until then, his penchant for saying incendiary shit and then not apologizing is only going to get him more enthusiastic support.

[Albertoo]

3. Absolutely true

What creates his momentum, i.e. his bravado at saying anything that crosses his mind, could be his downfall.

[tk2kewl]

5. I don't know if it's possible

[Hiraeth]

7. But, it seems the more outrageous he is the better they like it so I don't see that stopping him.

[Warren DeMontague]

14. It is an interesting question, how far is too far.

Maybe with this crowd there is no "too far".

[Albertoo]

2. Lose the Republican nomination? No way.

Too late. Rubio lost big when he lost his composure over his 30 seconds pre-packaged sound bites. And Cruz is a religious nutter.

[tk2kewl]

4. Billionaire attack ads will be wasted money

People who admire Trump do so because he's a ruthless cheat who always finds a way to come out on top. How are they going to attack him? Show ads of him being nice to immigrants? Petting kittens?

[Hiraeth]

6. I like the dark horse on the horizon theory myself. Surely, there is something out there.

I need cause to hope. I knew America had dumbed down but, I can't believe America has dumbed down this much.

[tk2kewl]

9. We need a good old fashioned showdown between good and evil

Then he will get trounced. Evil and less evil isn't gonna cut it.

I think the only way he isn't in the GE is if he just says "fuck it, I was just fucking with you" and bails on his own.

[Hiraeth]

10. Yeah, maybe he will just grow bored and find another way to spend his money.

[LannyDeVaney]

8. Originally, I thought he wouldn't win the nomination because he had hit his ceiling ...

and once voters of all the other folks coalesced, he would lose. I didn't count on the others dropping out so slowly - once Cruz won Iowa I started figuring he could pull the nomination off.

However, if you've watched both parties debates, there is no contest on substance, issues, etc... American is not that dumb - just like in 2008, 2012, ..., once there is a direct contrast between the two - Democrats win in a landslide, just like in '08.

[Hiraeth]

11. America is not that dumb ... ? I don't know. I am seriously beginning to wonder.

[Shandris]

12. Heck, let's add some more.

"Horsemen of the Apocalypse Arrive."
"Reptilians from Planet Nibiru attack Trump Tower."
"Jesus descends from cloud over New York."

Why anyone would listen to what these people - who have been successful only in driving his poll numbers up over the last six months - 'think' about politics is beyond me.

I never thought I'd see the day when either party would have published, openly in the national media, "Here's some ideas on how we can destroy the guy who the people of this party want as their representative." It'll be a miracle if there's an employable journalist left in this nation by the time November 7th rolls around, the way they're destroying their own profession.

[Mendocino]

13. We need a media with guts,

not one content with treating trump with anything less than the bully, mobster and fascist that he is. The idolatry in the guise of ratings is sick, the press is obligated and rewarded with special rights to report, not to create in order to perpetuate themselves.