I fear having him run on the republican ticket. Unlike Palin, who is an excellent political attacker (as long as you don't ask her questions off script), Trump could easily be made to say something incredibly foolish time after time.
I'd like a republican back in the white house, but right now, I don't find any of the candidates compelling in any fashion. It's a sad day when Trump - a guy who has a reputation as a savvy and aggressive businessman, both for his effective ventures and for his ability to dodge land mines, as you indicate above - is gaining legitimate momentum as a primary candidate.
Trump's appeal, IMO, is that he's a plain talker. He says what's on his mind and doesn't sugar coat it. Some of what he says however is not reasonable or likely.
In some ways he's the perfect candidate. Being outside the political circle, he has zero worries about calling it as he sees it. Those on the inside find it too easy to incriminate themselves when calling out an opponent. They have to walk a fine line in which they essentially say nothing. Trump has no worries in that regard.
But that same attribute works against him too. The political machine in place, and one having been honed for eons, has the very real potential to chew him up and spit him out. This is likely IMO.
The status quo must be changed. If we keep putting insiders into power, it's unrealistic to expect a different outcome. Most importantly, another Obama term will bankrupt the nation (if we last until then). We must pull together to support a candidate that can beat Obama. That candidate may not be "perfect" and in fact may be far from it, but that one single individual who is capable of beating him must be on the ballot - must get the nomination. It must be a landslide also because too many Secretaries of State, put in place by the Soros funded SOS project will be counting the votes. Close races will be tipped in Obama's favor in those states.
This birther garbage has got to be put to bed. It's a distraction and one being capitalized on by the left. It's not the path to getting Obama out of office, the ballot box is the only way. President's current and former are coated in Teflon. It's pretty much mission impossible to get anything to stick. Their kryptonite is the voting process. Obama must be soundly beaten fair and square. He'd rather be heading up the U.N. anyway.