1. Trump will own the party – and he will probably run again in 2020.

The Supreme Court, economic growth, taxation, the border, sovereignty – Republicans against Trump are looking at other considerations. Most such Republicans are familiar with the common arguments. Here are some headaches they may not have considered.

To run again, all Trump has to do is maintain his health, remain in the public eye, and suggest that he will probably serve only one term if elected in 2020. If he wins this year, it will be assumed that he will run for re-election in 2020, so why not run again regardless?

"Populism" and nationalism are growing forces, and there is no high-profile advocate of these gut-level impulses on the public stage aside from Trump. HRC will pour gasoline on these trends so that an "outsider" will be even better received in 2020 than Trump was this year.

2. A Clinton presidency may lead to the breakup of the country.

Even if dreams of a GOP renaissance in four to eight years come to pass, that will be after Clinton reconstitutes the courts, likely passes an amnesty with congressional Republican help, and moves the country another four years to the left. Every day she spends in office increases the likelihood that a critical mass of Texans will throw up their hands in disgust and decide to go their own way. If Texas secedes, without Texas's electoral college votes, the Midwest and South will face the prospect of an endless parade of Obama- and Clinton-style presidents and will follow Texas out of the union. Texas has reserved the right to leave at any time, and it will be argued that other states must have that same right if we are a union of equals.

3. Republicans against Trump will share the blame for any conflict with Russia.

Few people in the world have more to lose from a conflict with Russia than Mr. Trump, particularly a nuclear conflict. Even Jill Stein knows that Clinton is more likely to involve us in war and perhaps nuclear war. It's not an academic question, and Clinton's handling of Libya is telling.

4. Democrats will deal with income inequality and trade concerns by expanding government control.

These issues are not going away. They haven't had a full airing in this election cycle. Not everyone wants to be a computer programmer, and the promises made at the time that NAFTA was passed – that we would improve our schools in order to protect workers against the ravages of globalism – were not kept. If the Democrats are allowed to deal with these issues, high tariffs and punitive regulations regarding the movement of capital are much more likely.

5. Establishment GOP House and Senate members may lose big in 2018 and 2020.

We can expect populist challengers in the primaries, and millions of GOP voters will refuse to support establishment candidates in the general election. Republicans against Trump have paved the way: if you call yourself a conservative, it is fine to desert the battlefield if you have problems with the commander.

6. Republican media will be lumped in with the rest of the media.

Now that the media have gone beyond bias and into naked collusion, the corporate media will be less popular than ever. Republican media run the risk of not only being blamed for a Clinton win, but being accused of collusion with the most mendacious people in the world – American corporate media.

7. Unity is possible only with Trump; there is no evidence that he is politically corrupt.

All Trump has to do is govern with some sense of decorum and competence, and he can unify the country. The most bitter Republicans opposing him will never come around, but for most Americans, Trump could come to be a respected and admired president.

With Clinton, there will always be the assumption that she is looting the country behind the scenes, with the help of the media and government insiders. She will never unify the country.

8. WikiLeaks and Project Veritas have changed the equation: Republicans still oppose Trump when faced with unprecedented collusion and corruption.

WikiLeaks and P.V. give Republicans against Trump the excuse they need to come back to the fold. They should take it and hope for the best. WikiLeaks and P.V. remove most of the Republicans' excuses. They can never say, "We thought she might be bad, but we had no idea how bad." Now they know.

9. Down-ballot losses will be blamed on Republicans opposing Trump.

Before the election is over, Trump will probably seek to unify the party by openly calling for all of his supporters to vote a straight GOP ticket. He will enter the final week as the force of unity. Republicans opposing him will be the only clear voices of Republican disunity. Whatever harm that comes to the GOP will likely be laid at the feet of the latter.

10. Opposing Trump now minimizes the opposition's control over Trump.

If Trump wins, he is constrained by the courts; the GOP House and Senate; and, to some extent, those who elected him. If he loses, he can turn his considerable firepower on those who are to blame, which includes the Republicans against him. Do they really want to be in the muck with Trump, fighting, or do they want to be in the position of a referee?

11. Oversight of government is possible only with Trump.

Clinton is a female. The traitorous press that gave Mr. Obama a pass on his treason and incompetence because of his "minority status" will do the same for Clinton. Trump could enter office with the intent of enriching himself at the expense of the country, and he would fail to get anywhere.

12. If Trump loses, in time, Republicans who oppose him will be classified as traitors in the classical sense.

Politics is war without bloodshed. There is no final victory to be achieved – only temporary dominance and attainment of shared goals. The NeverTrump folks are in the position of Braveheart's Lochlan and Mornay – they've come to the field in battle dress, but just as the contest is being joined, they have deserted the field, to give lectures about their distasteful commander. Their hope of bouncing back in 2020 puts Republicans against Trump in the insane position of hoping things will get bad enough that the people will turn our way. Is that really the future they want for Americans? A hostage situation?

13. Republicans against Trump are on the losing side – Americans love an underdog, and they want change.

This election is the failed establishment versus Donald Trump and millions of Americans sick of statist failure. The only alternative to succumbing to the statists is moving Americans toward conservatism by giving Americans prosperity through hard work, national pride, and meaningful freedom in an orderly society – the real American Dream.

As imperfect as Mr. Trump is, few doubt that Trump – unlike Clinton – has genuine love for America and Americans. From that starting point, we can begin to repair and unify the country.