General Discussion

Republicans were going to have a brokered convention to choose another candidate but, because Trump was so wildly popular with the 80% of their base who are authoritarians, they realized that they could not win without him. So they put party over country and chose a Strong Leader who was not committed to democracy as their candidate. From the start there were some Republican politicians who didn't support Trump, mostly they were those who could afford to tank their political careers.

Unfortunately, through Trump's buffoonish mismanagement, overt corruption, and bottom-line centered management of the worst pandemic in a century, his approval with Republicans stayed about 80%. After the (bungled) first coup attempt in US history his approval dropped for a while. But when he wasn't personally held to account his approval rate gradually returned to its previous level.

For a democracy to be functional there have to be at least two viable parties committed to democracy. The US is one party shy of a democracy. Unless and until the Republicans can wrench their party out of the control of the 80% of Republicans who are authoritarians, or OK with authoritarianism as long as they are in control, or can develop a viable new party committed to democracy, democracy in the US will be one election away from failure.