As Rush said today, Trump is operating so far outside the established protocols of American politics, that he's leaving his opponents, their advisers, and the media in a state of total confusion. They can't think ahead of him because they're all trapped in a paradigm that has stultified their ability to properly analyze and strategize in a fluid battle like this.
Recall that Mr. Trump told us his strategy in advance - but the media was not listening ... "I like being UNPREDICTABLE"
Donald Trump rewrote the the rules to their game and now owns the game.