Is Trump running out of steam?

Whatever you might think of the political candidates running for president, both Democratic and Republican, you have to admit one thing: They are working extremely hard.

Thursday, Sen. Ted Cruz held three events in Wisconsin with two Friday and another Saturday. Donald Trump, also in Wisconsin, held two rallies just four hours apart Saturday. Not to be outdone, Gov. John Kasich was in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin on Friday and held three events in the Badger State on Saturday and will do two events in New York on Monday.

Hillary Clinton did eight events Thursday in three states and the District of Columbia. Sen. Bernie Sanders started his Friday at a rally in Pittsburgh at 7:30 a.m., and had another at 4 p.m. in the South Bronx. Shuffle in all the TV, radio and other interviews, and it's understandable why most of the candidates are losing their voices right about now.

Fatigue, I think, is also setting in on the only candidate who hasn't been a candidate. It's a grind that takes its toll on the body, but particularly on the mind. Let's face it. Running any race that you've never run before is tough sledding. Things are coming out of his mouth that are surprising even him.

Last week on MSNBC Donald Trump said abortion should be banned and that women who get one should be "punished." Certainly he must have had a brain freeze. He backed away from his comment after the broadcast. That, in and of itself, is surprising. He hasn't backed away from any of his other outlandish utterances, but it was too late. Is it any wonder 73 percent of women, according to a March 24 CNN poll, disapprove of the guy?

Cruz had his my-mind-is-not-in-gear moment, too, when he commented on the attack at the Brussels airport. First, he issued a statement that said, "We need to empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized." Later that same day, he told CNN's Anderson Cooper: "If you have a neighborhood where there's a high level of gang activity, the way to prevent it is you increase the law enforcement presence there and you target the gang members to get them off the streets. I'm talking about any area where there is a higher incidence of radical Islamic terrorism."

Cruz didn't have the good sense to back away from the cliff, and unfortunately, I don't really think he was having brain fatigue. Of course his equally evil twin, "The Donald," had already suggested closing America to all Muslims.

I wonder how you stretch your brain around such an idea? What does a Muslim neighborhood look like? According to Pew Research, there are 1.6 billion Muslims — almost a quarter of the world's population — and 3.3 million Muslims live in the U.S. They are every size, shape and color represented in the human tapestry. How do you identify a Muslim neighborhood? Muslims can afford to live anywhere they want to.

So I would like to ask Cruz and Trump this question: Did you really put your mind in gear before opening your mouth? And here's the scary thought. They probably did. That should be a reminder. There will be only one adult in the room come time for the GOP convention in Cleveland who hasn't appealed to our worst natures, and that's Gov. John Kasich. He is the only Republican who recognizes that America remains a great country that still spends more on defense than the next 12 countries combined. That includes our buddy Vlad.

If Republicans don't wake up and see the light and understand that Kasich presents an out for them, it will be a long, cold winter. There is still no guarantee he can beat either Clinton or Sanders. The GOP brand may be irreparably damaged. There is a military acronym for such a case. I can't print it here because this is a family newspaper. Just ask any veteran, they'll tell you, or send me an email.

Charles E. Richardson is The Telegraph's editorial page editor. He can be reached at 478-744-4342 or via email at crichardson@macon.com. Tweet@crichard1020.

This story was originally published April 2, 2016 at 9:01 PM with the headline "Is Trump running out of steam? ."