After the event, journalists couldn’t find the man who asked the question. He mumbled his name into the microphone. Consider what happened with Batchelder, what are the chances “Muslim president” guy was a plant as well?

Whatever the case, it’s clear that the Trump phenomenon is giving professional politicians a severe case of heartburn.

The GOP establishment, already reeling from the surprise defeat of former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in Virginia last year and the announcement late last month that John Boehner will soon give up both his House seat and his speakership, has been caught flat-footed by the rise of Trump and the other nonprofessional politicians and is desperately seeking a way to stop them.

Measures being bruited now include making candidates swear fealty to whomever turns out to be the nominee, and pledge not to run as a third-party candidate. Failure to do so would be punished by loss of ballot access.