Jonathan Martin at the NY Times notes that Trump isn’t playing by the rules (now there’s a surprise) – he’s spouting gutter-press conspiracy theories that the more (cough) conventional Republican candidates leave for political operatives to handle.

But that is precisely what has many Republicans, and some Democrats, nervous.

“He’s never been involved in policy making or party building or the normal things a candidate would do,” said Jon Seaton, a Republican strategist. “His whole frame of reference is daytime Fox News and Infowars,” a website run by the conservative commentator Alex Jones.

Mark Salter, Mr. McCain’s former chief of staff, said Mr. Trump was making common cause with “the lunatic fringe,” citing his willingness to appear on the radio show of Mr. Jones, who has claimed that Michelle Obama is a man.

And Barack Obama is a frog! And Ted Kennedy came here from his home on Mars! And Ruth Bader Ginsburg is the Queen of the Illuminati!

But at least in the short term, Mr. Trump’s willingness to hurl the most incendiary charges has given him an overwhelming advantage.

“He is winning the day,” Ms. Dunn said, “if you define winning the day by dominating the coverage.” She made clear that she did not.

In the next breath, though, Ms. Dunn wryly braced for more incoming. Half-jokingly imagining Mr. Trump dredging up the 1993 federal raid on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Tex., she said, “We haven’t heard ‘David Koresh’ yet.”

Or Roswell! Or fluoride! Or the Lindbergh baby!