The country is divided between the anybody-but-Trumps and the MAGAites, and the problem for Trump is that the country has had a good long look at the carnival barker now and is not about to make the same mistake twice. “Fool me — you can’t get fooled again.”

What to do in this situation? Well, a lot of Democrats are doing the obvious thing. Running. How many? As of last count, all of them. Iowa is having to import hay bales for them to stand on. And straw bales for the straw votes. And phone directories for ballots. And still they come.

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Now this will all be good fun, but there are a couple of things to keep in mind. One is actual agenda. Getting Trump out is only part of the solution. There are things we need to be doing. We are going to have to do something about inequality before our democracy stops functioning altogether. And we are going to have to do something about climate before our weather stops functioning altogether. You can argue about the rest.

Just about the only thing that could save Trump in 2020 is a third-party candidate. Watch this like a hawk. If a third-party contender challenges Trump for the conservative soul, whatever that is these days, fine. But as soon as you see someone positioning to split the Democratic vote, look out. If you like conspiracy theories, assume that a third party of the center, or on the left, is really working for Trump’s reelection. Because in effect that is what it will be doing. We have been around and around that mulberry bush enough times now to know how it ends. Without naming third-party names, it ended with George W. Mulberry Bush beating Al Gore, and Donald Golden-Mulberry-Bush-Hair Trump beating Hillary Clinton. And the result both times was more tax cuts for the rich, and no action on climate.