One is that he says things that are so outrageous, so profoundly wrong that it’s hard to know how to correct them. Talking about Iraq, Trump casually said that America should never have invaded but, when it did, it should have taken “all the oil.” Lauer asked how he’d do that. Trump replied: “You know, it used to be to the victor belong the spoils... I always said: Take the oil.”

But... but how? With a massive straw? The idea that America could and should loot countries ought to have prompted Lauer to laugh. Instead he left the point unchallenged and moved on. Thus by graciously treating Trump like a serious commentator, the mainstream media has helped transform him into a serious candidate. They’ve been doing that for ages, reverently broadcasting remarks that should’ve been accompanied by a circus clown soundtrack.