I read a very intriguing story at the USA Today: Trump Keeps Hinting He May Reject the Election Results. Is His True Goal an Immunity Deal?
And it got me thinking....
Work with me here in this what if scenario.
What if Trump loses? That could happen.
Then he makes a deal with Pence and resigns before the inauguration. Doubtful, but still plausible.
What if Mike Pence assumes office and pardons former President Trump for the good of the nation? Not unlike what Gerald Ford did for Richard Nixon. So far there is historical precedent.
But what if the Republican Party, now led by Mike Pence, then double crosses the Trump Family and "dissolves?"
The Republicans disassociate themselves of the entire Trump Brand. Out of the ashes of the Republican Party, they keep all of their infrastructure, purge themselves of Trump lackeys, and Re-Brand themselves as the Patriot Party.
Pence proclaims himself as the first Patriot and re-emphasizes core tenets of the new Grand Ol' Party. All of which are very similar to the philosophies of the previous Republican Party, without all of that nasty Trump Populism.
Don't think it can happen?
The Republicans have over $100,000,000, cash on hand, as of this past summer. If they get their heads handed to them in the November election, they're going to be looking for solutions for the next election cycle without that Trump stench on them.
Swamped with lawsuits, litigation, and a poor perception from the public, Philip Morris U.S. changed their name to Altria in 2003. They didn't change the way they made cigarettes, they didn't stop making cigarettes, they simply changed their name.
In the years that have passed, Altria has had to spend millions in the re-branding process, but they haven't strayed from their core business model. Making cigarettes. Yes, they've made some forays into smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes, but the re-branding was basically a public relations move.
Did you know Altria was one of America's largest cigarette producers? Before I wrote this article I didn't, either. When I hear the word Altria, I just think of another faceless corporation that is the result of multiple mergers or diversifications.
If Trump wins, re-branding won't happen.
If Trump simply loses, re-branding won't happen.
But what if Trump gets shellacked, Walter Mondale-style, and has criminal charges waiting in the wings to boot?
How desperate will the Republicans become?