Has the Trump implosion begun?

[angus]

No.

There was a time when I was astonished that he'd run.  Then there was a time when I was astonished that a fifth of the Republican voters claimed, to pollsters, that they would support him.  Then there was a time when I was astonished that anyone would still support him after that first debate.  Then, after I had convinced myself that Republicans must not have watched the first debate, I was astonished that he was still polling above 20 percent after the second debate.  

Nothing astonishes me anymore when it comes to trump's supporters.  I don't claim to comprehend them, but I know them, at least some of them.  None are shy about sharing their opinions when it comes to sports or politics.  For reasons that I am not intelligent enough to understand, the Donald, even as he has shown me from the first day of his candidacy that he is manifestly unsuited to the presidency of the United States, appeals to them.  Of the three people with whom I discussed politics with today at the club, two of them support trump.

[angus]

A followup:  Public radio news reported that Trump was in fine form this morning, replete with swagger, confidence, and abject nativism.  Two supporters interviewed from the crowd praised him for not playing the church card, unlike Cruz and Rubio. 

WaPo reports that "...the crowd roared when he cursed as he pledged to aggressively target Islamic State terrorists. "If we are attacked, somebody attacks us, wouldn't you rather have Trump as president if we're attacked?" he asked. "We'll beat the [expletive] out of them."  ... Trump was dismissive when asked about any lessons learned from defeat: “It not a question of learning. I just want to continue to do well.” He noted that “my brand is doing great.” Trump firmly stood by his decision to skip the Fox News Channel debate last week after clashing with the network over its treatment of him. “If I had to do it again, I would have done the exact same thing,” he said. “The reason is – do you know why? – because I raised $6 million for the vets in one hour.”  Trump did say that he would attend the upcoming Republican debate in New Hampshire."

NYT leads with spin.  The upper left headline is "Rivals Are Energized by Trump’s Loss in Iowa Caucuses" but if you click on the headline and read the article, they clearly point out that "The extent of Mr. Trump’s vulnerability in New Hampshire is still a question mark. He has long led the polls here by wide margins, and even as he conceded defeat in Iowa, Mr. Trump bragged that he was ahead in New Hampshire by 28 points..."

I'm not sensing the implosion just yet.