As I have been suggesting for some time, the first Republican debate has begun the more serious stage of the 2016 GOP presidential race.  Donald Trump has provided a mixture of entertainment and self-indulgence prior to the curtain going up, but now that Carly (Fiorina), John (Kasich), and Chris (Christie) have shown their faces before the audience, we will have a different theater of political operations. Mr. Trump, incidentally, will continue to obtain high poll numbers and media attention, and the Republican  establishment should welcome that. An early departure by Trump from the race while his numbers are high could enable him to run more credibly as a third-party candidate and do some damage to the GOP.  When he fades, as he will in the coming months, his interest in an independent candidacy will also fade as it becomes obvious such a run would likely hurt no one except perhaps the Democratic nominee (from whom he would likely draw more votes...(Read Full Post)