Genius: So far Donald Trump has spent only $2 Million on his campaign.

I've written a lot about the fact that Republicans need to learn to control a hostile media. The press is overwhelmingly left-wing, it will never give them a fair shake, and it will always side with their opponents. They have to know this going in to the race, and they have to find a way to overcome it. Reagan was a master at this. Lately, though, it doesn't happen often. A few months ago, Rand Paul provided a nice example of 'bending the press to your will' when he used the media to launch an attack against Debbie Wasserman Schultz's abortion hysteria. Most Republicans, however, are woefully cowed by the press and fail - completely - to harness its power.

Enter Donald Trump. Whatever you think of him, you have to admit that he's providing his rivals with a free graduate course in how to handle the mainstream media. At every turn, he manages to take their attacks, absorb the hit, and turn it into a powerful soundbite that cements or extends his lead. He's a master at it and has, in a word, been brilliant. Genius: So far Donald Trump has spent only $2 Million on his campaign. Trump has managed to direct the debate, control the narrative, and trounce his opponents all while spending (in political terms) next to nothing. $2 Million, while a lot of cash to everyday Americans, is a drop in the bucket for most presidential campaigns. And, to make it more interesting, the graph above includes Trump's outlay through September, while the totals for Clinton, Carson, and Cruz are only current as of June. That means over a longer period of time, Trump has still managed to spend much less and get way, way, more for his money. Why? Because he's absolutely unmatched when it comes to manipulating a media machine that would love nothing more than to destroy him. He doesn't need to spend the dough, because he's forcing the press to work for him. As he said this summer:

"I’ve gotten so much free advertising, it’s like nothing I’d have expected. When you look at cable television, a lot of the programs are 100 percent Trump, so why would you need more Trump during the commercial breaks?”

The sad thing is that this isn't something unique to Trump. At least, it doesn't have to be. Every Republican candidate could do this if they wanted to. They're just not willing, or capable, of fighting the same fight.

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