I sure do hope that Goldberg would win a war of printed words with Trump, given:
1. Purposeful word arrangement is Goldberg's profession.
2. Goldberg has zero concrete accomplishments(1) or failures to criticize, whereas Trump has plenty of both to mine for material.
3. Goldberg has finely honed his political stance on this & that to be perfectly in accord with Conservative, Incorporated.
4. Trump's political stances are not nearly as well thought out and he obviously cares less than Goldberg about a cohesive political philosophy.
5. Goldberg has never faced a situation where he must either compromise his principles or fail; where failure is not just personal, but has knock-on effects to include firing good employees.
My opinion as to why Trump resonates:
1. Raises issues such as immigration and "free" trade that the political class has decided not to let the American people have a say on.
2. Trump comes across as someone who actually likes America in an instinctive, "Of course, I love America" fashion.
3. Trump has concrete accomplishments(1).
4. GOP leadership does not share points 1-3.
5. GOP leadership has reneged on its commitments to quash ObamaSCOTUScare.
6. GOP leadership has reneged on its commitments to reign in BHO's orgy of illegitimate executive power.
7. GOP leadership did not cut off funding BHO's backdoor amnesty.
IOW, Trump's existence in the GOP POTUS candidate race is almost wholly attributable to failure, lies, corruption, and disgusting cowardice in the GOP, especially the leadership.
(1)
Opposed accomplishments, where there are folk doing their bast to thwart your success and succeed themselves.
The fact that Goldberg and Krauthammer have responded back when they originally just brushed Trump off tells me that they truly fear him.
Why do you think it's fear, and not just the fact that they are paid to express opinions? Also, the fact that Trump is a hot topic right now, and that's all the motive they really need to talk about Trump. They want audience and page clicks, just like everyone else.
I think they (JG, CK, etc.) fear Trump because he has the potential to upset the GOP apple cart. I think GOP leadership is pissing down its leg in fear. I think the coordinated attacks, in which JG & CK are but two participants, point to a real fear. Attack #1 was the equivalent of pointing and screaming at Trump because he was so gauche as to speak of immigration in terms most Americans speak of it. Same with trade. When that proved ineffective, Attack #2 went to the well of Trump's real estate deals, some of which included eminent domain in one way or another. Attack #3 is the Kitchen Sink Approach, where any and every act or statement by Trump that might be unattractive to actual conservative voters is propped up and made to sing.
JG, CK, and the rest of Conservatism, Incorporated, have not done this to any other candidates in near the intensity and frequency. Mostly because they can be expected to be god Donor Party candidates.
For my own part, I have little faith Trump will be a lasting force in the race. I also do not think he has a coherent political philosophy. I hope he stays in as long as possible and causes the GOP leadership as much butthurt as possible. Were I hopeful about the political milieu, I might even hope that Trump and Sanders might cause the GOP and Dems to crumble and rupture.