I think the common thinking is that Trump is a fixture of this election, not a fluke, because he's tapping into an extant and pervasive fear that's a result of wide-ranging economic uncertainty, disappointment with the "DC insiders," and terrorism. Commentators who derisively dismissed him were doing wishful thinking. Not that I wasn't one of those commentators.

While I think it'd be an interesting development to see the rest of the Republican candidates unite against Trump... I have a not-insignificant suspicion that that would lionize and popularize him even more.

Not to mention, this article is patently condescending to Republicans. "Jeb, you did good for dropping out, pat on the head. Cruz, you should consider rethinking your policy platform because it's a little too similar to Trump's for my taste. Marco, you're palatable." I mean, I don't care-- I'm not a fan of any of the candidates. But if her goal is convincing Republican candidates to unite, she could have done it a little less insultingly, no?