Pretty much. Trump's bluster, bloviating and lack of detail is not going to cut too much muster with the general electorate outside Trump's admittedly strong but narrow base with GOP primary voters.
Debates with Hilary Clinton may not go too well for the Donald.
Rush was right about the way Romney was winning the nomination and losing the general in 2012 and it still rings true to day. While filling arenas may excite some and win the nomination, it loses the base and kills your chances in the general election.
Rush: Romney is winning like a liberal
The fact is that Des Moines is no more flyover country than NY or LA. Its an urban center that is moderate to liberal. Flyover country is rural and towns of under say 10,000 people and they lean conservative to very conservative. You can fill an arena with 30,000 people but still be lucky to get 10% of them to turn out for a primary. Small towns will have a considerably higher turnout. In the 2012 primary, my township turned out at a rate of 74% of registered voters and that was a less than enthusiastic race. (We voted for Santorum)
A candidate must do more than look at winning the primary with a foolish belief that people will vote for you because you're the only choice left.
(Dec 2011) Rush Goes On the Record with Fox News Channel's Greta Van Susteren
Well, every poll I've seen of Republican primary voters, he can't crack 30 percent. It has been curious. And you look at it from the reverse, 70 percent of Republican voters want somebody else. This is why we have the phenomenon of the "Not-Romney." Bachmann was the "Not-Romney" for a while. Herman Cain was the "Not-Romney." Now Newt is the "Not-Romney." I think it boils down to something that's not complicated at all. Republican primary voters are conservative. They don't believe that Romney is. They believe that he will stick a finger in the air and moisten it and see which way the winds are blowing and try to get in that direction. They remember that Romney said he believes in global warming and he believes that man is causing it. Well, conservatives don't believe that. They believe it's a hoax. Conservatives know that the whole story of man-made global warming is a hoax. And they're not going to get excited by a candidate who is trying to gain favor with non-Republican primary voters by articulating that stuff.
Here's the big problem, Greta, for the Republicans. And I am a lone wolf on this. The rule of thumb in elections, both parties, 40 percent are going to vote Democrat automatically, whatever you do, 40 percent are going to vote Republican, automatic, no matter what you do. And in the middle, who do we have? The precious, God love them, independents and the moderates. And they are the targets. They are the focus of every election. And our brilliant campaign consultants tell our candidates they are the ones that know how to go get a majority of those independents. And we have, as Republicans, put ourselves in prison to this whole silly notion that you only win elections by moving to the center and getting great independents. Fine and dandy, but if you squander your base in the process, you haven't a prayer.