The endgame begins now. There is only one word to describe what is coming next for GOP establishment candidates and their party. Checkmate.
Using chess terminology I would say the GOP finds itself in "
zugzwang" a situation in which the obligation to make a move in one's turn is a serious, often decisive, disadvantage. The GOP must select Trump or someone else from the remaining field [Cruz/Kasich] or a "wildcard" [Paul Ryan etc ]....either move will put the GOP at a disadvantage. If the latter move is made an an "establishment" candidate emerges it will fracture the GOP into two camps.
If Trump Emerges
Trump is unlikely to be as effective in "branding" Hillary Clinton as he was and has been at branding his GOP opponents as "loser, weak, little" etc. For one thing forewarned is forearmed for another Hillary has been in the spotlight and in the crucible of GOP partisan attacks thus she has developed "antibodies" or some limited immunity to certain "branding" attacks. Yet another factor is that 10 percent of the general election voters are not thinking that Slavery was better for the US as was the case in the primary [I use 10% on the basis that Trump has the support of about half the GOP voters and of that half 20 % think Emancipation was wrong]
I liken Trump GOP Primary success to the use of the "wildcat" play some years back in the NFL which caught the New England Pats of all teams flat footed and resulted in the Miami Dolphins unexpected victory. Since that time though it became increasingly ineffective as defenses figured out how to defend against this wrinkle in strategy.
I think a version of the "Swiftboating" attacks launched on Kerry will be used on Trump under the Rove doctrine of "use the opponents strong point against him".
Under this doctrine Kerry's service was used successfully against him by a series of surrogate attacks funded by the Bush people.. The Trump business judgement his temperament his "tell like it is" image will be used against him ... If these attacks are sharp enough and aimed purposefully at his ego it could unhinge him in public outbursts ...
Having said all that ...Trump is very dangerous and one cannot overestimate how gullible and uninformed/misinformed the US voting population is at this time ...