So we are now in day four of the “Muslim” conversation started when Donald Trump didn’t respond to a trollish question about Muslims at a town hall. A few thoughts.

1. Donald Trump is probably right that he has no “moral obligation” to defend Barack Obama. But he does have a moral obligation to dissent from bigotry and correct false statements made over his megaphone. Even if you disagree with that characterization (and I know many will), there’s still a political necessity. If Trump had shut down the question, he also would have forestalled this idiotic conversation that has now consumed much of the post-debate news cycle. If Trump were an experienced politician instead of an experienced entertainer, he would have instantly recognized the trap that the question posed and neutralized it, regardless of his “moral obligations.”

2. For instance, Meet the Press belabored the entirely hypothetical and ridiculous question of whether or not it would be okay to have a Muslim president. How is this question relevant to anyone’s life? Is there a Muslim candidate in the wings I am unaware of? The whole premise of the question seems to be to feed the news cycle on MSNBC (and elsewhere) for the coming week. It’s all a game. And such game-playing is exactly why so many people are disgusted with the conversation coming out of Washington.

Read the article “What Carson and Cruz Should Have Said to the ‘Muslim’ Question” on nationalreview.com.