Yes, Trump is dominating the primaries. That doesn’t mean he’ll beat Biden

The mainstream media is flabbergasted at Trump’s success in sweeping the Iowa caucuses, dominating the polls, and destroying all his rivals but Nikki Haley before Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary.

CNN is awestruck, calling Trump’s “landslide victory in Iowa” a “stunning show of strength”.

The New York Times is dumbfounded, talking of an “expected Trump coronation” and also the “power of his political machine”.

Time magazine marvels at his “commanding position” to secure the Republican nomination, and that “nothing has slowed him down”.

The Washington Post’s Dan Balz writes that “the end of any real competition could come very soon”.

Headline after headline offers the same breathless, spellbound story: “Trump is dominating.” “Disciplined.” “Ruthless.” “Hugely effective.” “Remarkable.”

Earth to the mainstream media: this is dangerous nonsense.

Why should Trump’s dominance be surprising? He’s dominated the Republican party since 2016. He dominates by ridiculing opponents, blasting anyone who stands in his way, bullying, browbeating, and bellowing. The media eats it up. He’s outrageous and entertaining.

Trump’s success in last week’s Iowa caucuses wasn’t a “stunning show of strength”. It was a display of remarkable weakness. He got just 56,260 votes. There are 2,083,979 registered voters in Iowa. Fewer than 3% of Iowans voted for him.

According to an entrance poll, only 46% of the Republican caucus-goers considered themselves part of the Maga movement. Nearly 50% said they were not. Three-quarters of these non-Maga Republican voters opposed Trump.

Over 30% said they would not consider Trump fit to be president if he were convicted of a crime.

His performance in New Hampshire will probably reveal similar weaknesses.

What seems to be lost