I was just being sarcastic.

But seriously, #3 is most plausible. Nothing unites the GOPers like hatred.

In any case, how do we get them to run Trump again in 2020?

i expect trump to cash in on his notoriety with trump tv and/or a book/speaking tour and/or numerous interviews and commentating.

in any event, i expect him to continue to be the loudest voice in the room and dominate discussion even when he's not in the room, which is part of the nature of malignant personality disorders like his.

he might rule himself out for 2020, but still remain very influential. no one will want trump to find a career-ruining nickname for them.

Today's Republicans are the same kind of people who were 1865's Confederates, or November, 1918's Germans. They're not going to pay any attention at all to the flood of op-eds which are already being written, calling for sober reflection and a changing of the ways.

Instead, they'll blame minorities, as they always have and always will. Their policies will become even more hate-based and their actions will become darker and more overtly designed to wrest back control of government through fear and intimidation.

The only thing we'll have going for us is foreknowledge that it's going to happen, and the mechanism of a giant police state that already spies on everyone.