As tempting as it is to join them, the problem, I think, is that it would be perceived as pretty heavy-handed for the RNC or a TV network to unilaterally decide to exclude the guy polling in second place in both national and early state surveys. This would be a slap in the face of the misguided voters who support him, and would likely turn Trump into a martyr. By all means, Republicans should denounce the horrible things he says, but excluding him from the debates would only make matters worse.

What is more, it’s hard to imagine the rationale that would justify his exclusion. It’s probably worth mentioning that, on top of everything else, he’s not really a conservative. But do we want to impose a litmus test? I suppose we could argue that he’s not really a politician, but by that logic, Carly Fiorina (the only woman running) and Dr. Ben Carson (the only African-American) would also be excluded. To be sure, you could argue that Trump’s comments were especially egregious. But being a “jerk” is a relative thing. It’s hard to quantify. Do we want to get in the business of punishing Republican candidates for saying controversial or politically incorrect things — because if we do, Trump won’t be the only one excluded.