'World News' Political Insights: Donald Trump Threatens to Disrupt GOP Plans

WASHINGTON, April 3, 2011— -- Appearances to the contrary, the early stage of a presidential nominating contest is not a reality show.

That means the likely Republican 2012 contenders can't say to Donald Trump, "You're fired."

And that's a point of annoyance and frustration -- and even a touch of worry -- to the Republicans who are plotting paths to defeat President Obama next year.

In publicly mulling a run for president for the third time in a quarter century, Trump is more than your typical vanity candidate who enjoys seeing his name plastered across the political landscape.

He's proven more adept at playing the media game than he has even at playing the real-estate market -- and he knows how to poke his hair into almost any story he chooses.

Regardless of whether Republican primary voters actually get a chance to vote for The Donald, he could shape the GOP field in ways that aren't likely to help the more seasoned and serious candidates for the presidency.

Like any celebrity candidate, Trump is drawing press interest that could go elsewhere. That's a particular concern for Republicans who are anxious to break through early and big in opposing what could be a billion-dollar candidacy in the Obama reelection campaign, which is set to formally launch in the coming days.

To make matters worse for the other candidates, Trump is appealing to the "birther" elements inside the conservative movement in his many media appearances.

"There's something on that birth certificate that he doesn't like," Trump declared on ABC's "The View" last week.

Trump chose to cap such appearances by publicly releasing his own birth certificate -- except the initial document he released wasn't the official legal paperwork he's insisting that the president produce.

Those who continue to question the president's place of birth -- and therefore his qualification to be president -- represent a sizeable enough minority inside the Republican Party that it's tempting for presidential hopefuls to appeal to them.

One poll last week found that only 20 percent of Republicans believe the president was "definitely" born in the United States.