Trump knows how to win, because he knows how to control the media.

The Republican establishment types are bent out of shape over Donald Trump because they fear him.

They fear he’ll turn off moderates.  They fear his negatives are too high.  They fear he can’t be bought off, because he doesn’t need the money.  They fear he will bring a Goldwater-type disaster at the polls. 

How Trump will govern is open to debate, but what isn’t debatable is the competence of Trump the Candidate.

The establishment types didn’t take Trump seriously because he’s never held elected office.  But he eliminated Rick Perry, Scott Walker, Lindsey Graham, and Bobby Jindal before Iowa and New Hampshire. 

Trump has the fortitude to speak out on the issue that establishment hopes you don’t notice: illegal immigration.  Where establishment Republicans play it safe, Trump has the nerve to say what most Americans think about illegal immigrants showing up to their government schools.  Trump understood that, with a large GOP field in 2016, a candidate has to stand out to get attention.

Trump is a brilliant campaigner.  He understands how the modern media works.  He understands that the message is more important than money.  What Trump can do with one sentence on Twitter about Muslims, no super-PAC can effectively buy.

Trump is at the top of the Republican field because he is, by far, the best at running a campaign.  He knows how to win.  He knows that the candidate who controls the news cycle will win.

The Republican establishment candidates failed in the last two Presidential campaigns.  In 2008, John McCain was a loser from the get-go.  He wanted to be outspent by Barack Obama to prove some bizarre theory about public financing OF Presidential elections.  In 2012, the Republicans elected another loser, Mitt Romney.  Not only was Romney outspent, BUT he had to deny he was the inspiration for Obamacare.  Had McCain and Romney been nearly as good at campaigning as Trump, they would have won.

If Trump wins the Republican nomination, he will defeat Hillary.  He doesn’t do things halfway.  He means what he says, and he says what he means.  Trump understands that making Hillary the issue will get out the Republican vote that McCain and Romney were unable to attract.

Here’s what you can expect from Trump in the general election as he asks: Why do Hillary and Bill pretend to be married when they have been separated since January 20, 2001?  Does Hillary really think she can fool white suburban married women who want to believe that Hillary and Bill have a real marriage?  Did NBC News pay $600,000 to Chelsea as a bribe?  Is Hillary a tool of Goldman Sachs, having taken money from Goldman for a speech, and considering that her son-in-law worked at Goldman?  When did Hillary learn that her husband was a sexual predator?

Trump will force these questions, and others, into the news cycle, whether the liberal establishment wants to entertain them or not.

Donald Trump cannot be denied or destroyed.  The public already knows him.  They know him from reality television.  They know him from WWE wrestling.  The low-information voter knows who Trump is.  Trump doesn’t pretend to be anything other than what he is: a successful businessman. 

The difference between Trump and Romney is that Trump understands the language and the pulse of middle-class America.  It’s not about the money; it’s about image, and controlling that image in the media.

Steve Bartin is the editor and publisher of Newsalert.