In the beginning there were 17 contenders for the GOP nomination.

Now Donald Trump has emerged victorious.

It is a given that all the Republican candidates opposed the progressive policies of President Obama.

But what separated Donald Trump from the pack was his disdain for the Republican establishment, a contempt that reflected the feelings of many GOP voters.

One issue crystallizes that loathing, the murder of Kate Steinle in San Francisco by an illegal alien felon who was allowed to kill her.

I addressed this on the Colbert program Monday night:

BILL O’REILLY: “32-year-old Kate Steinle, do you know this story?”

STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST OF THE LATE SHOW: “I do know this, it’s a very sad, tragic story.”

O’REILLY: “She was murdered in San Francisco.  Out on Ghirardelli Square with her father walking and she’s killed and shot in the back of the head, and she’s dead.  Who killed her?  An illegal alien aggravated felon with six felony convictions in the United States who had been deported five times and who came back six times, alright?  That, the girl is dead.  So I say we need Kate’s Law, which means that if an aggravated felon defies deportation, that person gets mandatory five years first offense, ten second offense, just for being in the country.  Pick them up, he goes to federal prison.  Kate’s Law.  Simple, right?  Can’t get it passed.  Why?  Because the Republican leadership wouldn’t get behind it.  Now – Harry Reid …”

COLBERT: “Why not?  Because Trump is running very successfully on an anti-illegal immigrant platform.”

O’REILLY: “Because it’s all BS and the folks know it.”

COLBERT: “Trump’s BS?”

O’REILLY: “The anti-illegal alien stuff is BS.  Because you shouldn’t be anti-illegal aliens, that doesn’t solve any problems.”

COLBERT: “You should be anti-criminal.”

O’REILLY: “Right. Exactly. So –“

COLBERT: “You and I are agreeing all over the place!  All over the place!”

O’REILLY: “No we’re not.  You’re actually – you’re actually listening and that’s a good thing.  So Harry Reid, the senator, the Democratic senator, kills this in the Senate, but Mitch McConnell the Republican leader does nothing.  And then in the House, they do nothing.  Why?  Because they wanted to attach it to a sanctuary city bill that they knew President Obama would veto.  So everybody knows this.”

COLBERT: “But why would they do that?”

O’REILLY: “That’s right, why would they do that!?  Alright?  And that’s – I ask, I’m pounding the table! – put it as a stand-alone.”

COLBERT: “That’s a brand new table.”

O’REILLY: “Right.  Sorry.  Because President Obama would sign Kate’s law I believe.  He wouldn’t veto it.  But you can’t attach it to 15 other things.”

COLBERT: “Ok but if …”

O’REILLY: “Just listen to me for a minute.”

COLBERT: “Oh boy. (laughter) I’ve been listening.  I’ve been very good.”

O’REILLY: “You’re absorbing.  Now you have to live it.”

COLBERT: “I have to live this?”

O’REILLY: “You have to learn and live.  Ok, so the Republicans see this, they see their own party not doing the right thing.  They expect Harry Reid to do it, he’s corrupt.  But they don’t expect their leadership to not do anything.  That’s why they’re furious.”

Again, Donald Trump tapped directly into the fury being felt by millions of Republican voters.

The other candidates could not match his ferocity.

That's why Trump won.

And that's the memo.