Can the establishment trump Trump?

Some in the Republican establishment are playing with fire. It is plain obvious that they would like to deny Donald Trump the party's nomination, and they have every right to try to do so.

But this onslaught on Trump -- led by GOP big guns, along with its two most recent presidential nominees, Mitt Romney and John McCain -- could backfire and turn the real estate mogul into a political martyr. They face an excruciating dilemma: how to drive home the notion that Trump is unfit to be president even as the public rallies behind him?

Some in the GOP establishment failed to pick up the political undercurrents among rank-and-filed Republicans during the first few months of the campaign. This helped Trump's ascent. But the establishment may still be oblivious to what GOP voters want. As a result of this disconnect, they may actually help him seal the deal. Saturday's votes in Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana and Maine could provide insight on the way forward. Remember, so far every attack on Trump has helped him.

Unlike the Democratic front-runner, Hillary Clinton, Trump has yet to run away with the delegates, despite having momentum on his side and winning 10 of the 15 states that held primaries (not including Saturday's votes).

Before there was Trump, it was Texas Sen. Ted Cruz who was hated by the party's big wigs. In fact, Cruz has yet to be endorsed by any of his colleagues in the Senate because of the bad rapport he has with the people in Washington. Nevertheless, in states where primaries have been closed (meaning, only registered Republicans can vote, like those on Saturday), Cruz has fared well.

At first, the establishment couldn't decide between Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush; then it came out against Cruz; and all the while, it ignored Trump. Now the establishment has a conundrum on its hands: How do you attack two unwanted front-runners (the first of the two is the most pressing problem)? Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, an also-ran in this cycle and in 2008, has warned the establishment not to meddle with the process. "Let's remember, we have an election process and not a selection process," he said recently.

Republican voters have viewed the GOP establishment's efforts with scorn and may very well set the house ablaze. In fact, 78% of Trump supporters say they would continue to back him no matter what he does. On Super Tuesday, Trump garnered almost 70% of the vote among those who said they wanted an outsider as their next president.

Rubio is not an outsider; neither is Cruz. The outsider is Trump. Trump has bested his opponents in virtually every possible measure. This only adds to his success and exacerbates the party's headache.

The establishment's efforts may very well be a case too much, too late. Perhaps the Republican voters truly are fed up with Washington; perhaps they truly are disappointed by the economy and view the billionaire as their savior (or at the very least, someone who can punish Washington). The establishment enlisted the help of Romney, who has become the face of the anti-Trump campaign. But Romney, lest you forget, lost to President Barack Obama in 2012 and to McCain in 2008.

These elections are about being a winner. They are about making America win again. Romney is not quite the right person. Perhaps the establishment has no choice but to attack. It is now or never. We are likely to see more surprises in this race, but for the time being, the campaign to stop Trump is the biggest story.

Let's hope the Republican leaders don't forget who their real adversary is. Judging from how they have conducted themselves, they could very well start viewing Hillary Clinton as their big savior. By doing so, they will have severed their ties with the GOP rank and file for good.

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