Yeah, I think the media has generally done a pretty good job with Trump. The problem is the voters. It's totally appropriate for them to cover the frontrunner for a major party's nomination saying something outrageous. It's totally appropriate for them to let the frontrunner for a major party's nomination call in to talk about whatever the topic of the day is. The question here should be why people like Hillary Clinton aren't willing to do big media appearances that aren't very tightly controlled (I know why, but).
Something that's been pretty striking about this primary on both sides is that there are successful candidates who have totally rejected the usual strategy of trying to be perfect. Sanders and Trump are each in their own way cartoons with bad hair. And this renders them gaffe-proof. They can't lose support because they do something that looks bad. Trump has had terrible moments in debates and it doesn't matter. I bet Sanders could get away with wearing a silly hat. Compare to Rick Perry and "oops", John Kerry's wind-surfing or condom suit, or Howard Dean's scream. Even Mitt Romney was I think at least somewhat damaged by his series of humanisms like "the trees are the right height". When you're trying to present yourself as the quintessentially presidential person, you can blow the whole thing up with one mistake. I think it'd be a good thing if other politicians learned from Sanders and Trump that you don't really have to do this. I grant that it's possible that you really do have to do this to win the general election, but I'm not sure the squishy "do they seem presidential?" vote is a big deal anymore.
