The candidates who are suitable to the powers that be are Bush, Kasich and Rubio on the Republican side and Clinton on the Democratic side. If the voters reject these then an independent run by Mike Bloomberg may be in the offing.
My theory is that Trump is being used to take out Cruz, a candidate who the GOP establishment and the corporations who back them fear will destroy the party. Once the vile Teddy boy is done for the demise of the Donald will be immanent and Bush, Rubio or Kasich (Christie less likely due to the fact that if he shows up again in New Jersey he's likely to be met with irate citizens carrying tar and feathers--and mops) will sweep the big moderate states which go late in the primary season and that plus the superdelegates will put their guy on top.
Trump could go third party but I can't see Trump, with his anti-free trade views being acceptable to the PTB. Billionaires can be brought down--remember Ross Perot. Trump would be easy, so easy by comparison--or maybe not. There are a lot of pissed off people out there.
On the democratic side, I think the powers that be were thoroughly blindsided by the Sanders surge. They are in a panic, throwing everything but the kitchen sink at Sanders with the collusion of the media who had until now happily touted him as a loveable, avuncular longshot, hurling invective his way. It is something the Democrats are very good at--ask Howard Dean. Republicans may secretly view their Tea Party and Evangelical base with contempt but they treat them with kid gloves. The Democratic establishment makes no secret of its contempt for its economic populist base--with the exception of ethnic minorities of course. Unless Democrats stick with Sanders through the shitstorm that is just beginning, the PTB will win. If Sanders somehow pulls it off, if Hillary falls in Iowa and New Hampshire to a populist surge expect someone to come out of the woodwork to challenge Sanders. Kerry, perhaps, he's done this before, or maybe Al Gore if he can still be trusted to do what the PTB wants and if Sanders wins the establishment will be perfectly comfortable with the mainstream republicans or Bloomberg.
Sanders, unlike Trump has pledged not to go third party. It would be nearly impossible for him to do so at any rate. Democrats were badly burned when Ralph Nader pulled votes away from Al Gore in 2000. He has to win the nomination or go home.
I do think that sanders could attract Trump voters away from a mainstream Republican in the unlikely chance that he is the Democratic nominee.
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