... I do think if he runs, the party apparatus will back him 100%. But that's how I feel today. It may change based on the investigations. He MIGHT be too damaged to run by then. We can hope. But unfortunately his brand of politics is currently winning primaries. Whether they win in the midterms is another question but so far he is not damaged goods. Yet.

I agree with you that there are a lot of republicans who want their party back and who would flock to a "normal" candidate in a heartbeat. They outnumber the deplorables by a mile. It's just that they are not in-your-face like the deplorables are. The FBI estimates that "only" 2000 people attacked the capitol on Jan. 6. That is a tiny fraction of Rs. But they yell and scream and seem a lot more numerous because they're the ones making all the noise and the headlines.

If a "normal" candidate runs, be prepared to lose people like Nicolle Wallace and the like. They are still republicans and they'll abandon the Dem narrative in a heartbeat as soon as the GOP puts forth someone more pedestrian.