There was, hard as it is to remember, a time before Donald Trump dominated American politics. There will be a time after Trump as well — and if Democrats get their way, that time could come sooner than the 2020 election.

As Trump’s Ukraine scandal continues to spiral outward, Democrats are racing forward with their impeachment inquiry. And as public polling in support of his impeachment and removal creeps above 50 percent, Trump’s hold on power is no longer beyond doubt. In the most recent Democratic debate, Elizabeth Warren made light of the president’s precarious position by vowing to “outwork, out-organize, and outlast anyone, and that includes Trump, Mike Pence, or whoever the Republicans get stuck with.”

Let’s pause here: Absent a massive shift in sentiment among Senate Republicans, the Democrats’ impeachment push doesn’t have the votes it would take to remove Trump from the White House. Even if the House voted to impeach the president, it would require a two-thirds vote of the Senate to convict him. That means 20 Republicans would have to join the entire Democratic caucus to give Trump the boot. We’re nowhere near that right now, and — given everything Trump has done already and how popular he is among Republican voters — it’s hard to imagine what he could do to get 20 Republicans to decide that ousting Trump is worth facing the wrath of the GOP base....

Below, we rank the potential contenders for the 2020 GOP nomination in the absence of Trump. (An asterisk marks declared 2020 candidates.)

1) Mike Pence
Faction: Trump Loyalist

2) Nikki Haley
Faction: Collaborationist Critic

3) Ted Cruz
Faction: “True” Conservative

4) Mitt Romney
Faction: Collaborationist Critic

5) Mike Pompeo
Faction: Trump Loyalist

6) Donald Trump Jr.
Faction: Trump Kid

7) John Kasich
Faction: Never-Trumper

8) Mark Sanford*
Faction: “True” Conservative

9) Liz Cheney
Faction: Neocon Revivalist

10) Jim Jordan
Faction: Trump Loyalist

11) Ivanka Trump
Faction: Trump Kid

12) John Bolton
Faction: Neocon Revivalist

13) Kevin McCarthy
Faction: Trump Loyalist

14) William Weld*
Faction: Never-Trumper

15) Justin Amash
Faction: “True” Conservative

16) Joe Walsh*
Faction: Trumpy Non-Trump