In the last presidential cycle, the primaries were a competition to find the Not-Romney, the alternative to the moderate, establishment candidate with all of the big fundraising. This cycle started out as a competition to be the Not-Bush, with Jeb Bush in the Mitt Romney role. But then Trump entered the race, and now the competition is for who can occupy the space in between—who can be the Not-Trump-Not-Bush. Who can stand next to Bush and look like a radical who will overturn the status quo—and stand next to Trump and look reasonable, safe, and serious?

Because that’s how this is probably going to shake out. Trump is unlikely to get the nomination. He has a history too full of flip-flops on the big issues and a personality too full of off-putting negative qualities. He’s an early protest candidate, but not the guy you actually want for the general election. Those motivated by raw, inchoate anger, and not too particularly about whom they choose as a vessel for it, will go to Trump. Those who recoil to the safety of the status quo will support Jeb Bush. The rest of us will eventually have to coalesce around a third alternative candidate. So we’d better start figuring out who that person is going to be.

Let’s put it this way. If you want the Republican Party to stand for something, and not for someone, who is your candidate? Let’s run down the possibilities.