But “checks and balances” is a concept implied in the Constitution by the structure of government, as a notional triad of competing political interests. Nowhere does it lay out how it should work, e.g. an enforcement mechanism; or even with the Founders’ Elmer Fudd vagueness (which produced the 2nd Amendment), say in fuzzy words “thou shalt respect chex-n-balances or go to jail”. It’s just assumed that it will work.

If the Constitution prescribed an enforcement mechanism for chex-n-balances, the last couple of Republican Congresses would be in jail right now.

Which illustrates the problem: Checks and balances, and the very idea of institutions of government, requires everybody to agree to go along with the joke. This social contract existed alongside the Constitution, in a common understanding that self-government requires all the selves to work together, at least on the basics of running the country…right up until the last couple of Republican Congresses. Until the Tea Party junkyard dogs clamped their teeth on power.

Then they showed us. They learnt us real good, that they have the power and the willingness to break the social contract, and we’d better toe their line, or they’ll burn it all down.

Now, as night follows…a lesser darkness…we’re contemplating the possible election of two outspoken authoritarians as President and VP. Suppose they do something that’s demonstrably un-Constitutional, but they’re unrepentant, and refuse calls to resign. They’re impeached; they’re convicted. And then what? Sure, they’ll probably be removed by force, but that’s the point: The social contract will have been defied and all that’s left is raw force. Will Congress have the balls? Who will the military obey? The wannabe dictators might not succeed, just as you hope, but their attempt would inflict irreparable damage on the country. The moral arc of the universe would bend toward the junkyard dogs.

But a greater danger is this: About the only way the fascistic duo could get elected anyway is that something so terrible happens as to thoroughly poison the political well, which would likely lead to a like-minded Republitrump Congress as well. Then they’d have the genuine statutory power to pretty much do whatever they damn well want to the country and the world. The junkyard dogs would win it all.

But what are the odds?

Ahhh, such cheery thoughts on a Saturday night. I’ll knock it off now.

We have endured much more than mere ‘checks and balances’ from the Republicans during the Obama administration. We have seen voter suppression, legislative blackmail and obstruction, lies and propaganda, threats and attempts of government shutdowns and an unprecedented lack of simple civility and respect to anyone who does not support their program unquestioningly and in its entirety–even members of their own party. We have witnessed a political opposition determined to sabotage even those policies it once championed so that the resulting chaos could be blamed on their ideological enemies. This is unprecedented in American history. And they have boasted of this openly and proudly, as if they had the right, no, the obligation to do so.

Even if a President Trump does not turn out to be the ogre we expect him to be, he will be under a great deal of pressure from his own allies to initiate their program, he will owe them big time. If he does not cooperate there will be plenty of them ready to take his place, either legally in 2020, or earlier, by coup. These reactionaries have been emboldened and they will not take ‘no’ for an answer, least of all from one of their own. The Democrats will find it impossible to fight back unless they adopt and double down on the tactics of the Tea Party and the wingnut Right; and they will have to do that in an atmosphere where they are the minority, and afraid of retaliation from an electorate now perceived to support the new regime. For the Left to slow down the Republican program it will have to adopt Republican tactics; the Republicans will feel justified in escalating theirs. And the pushback will not be characterized by the civility and grace of the Obama presidency. They will be ruthless. Four, or even eight more years of deadlock, or worse, will certainly push this country to a dictatorship. And it may very well be one of the Left as one of the Right.

The Conservatives have already declared their plans for the Supreme Court…in order to perpetuate these policies indefinitely. And after the next census, they will see to it their redistricting and gerrymandering will be institutionalized. Every success of a Trump administration will be cited as proof of the superiority of Conservative politics, and every failure will be conveniently blamed on his predecessor. Any disaster, whether it be military, economic, or even natural, regardless of its cause or origin, will be the excuse to further implement those politics.

At the very least, we can look forward to the systematic dismantling of the New Deal and the safety net, and of the loss of all the safety, workplace, environmental, market, economic and social regulations that protect us from exploitation. We will see a system of revenue implemented that levies the salaries of the rich at the same rate as those of the poor, but that will not tax inheritance, private profit on investment, financial transactions, capital gains or corporate profit at all. The new code will “simplify” the tax forms of the poor, but will retain all the familiar old loopholes and shelters lobbied for by the rich. This is why we have a Republican Party, after all.

We will see the privatization of all American institutions, and the commercialization of all American culture. We will all live in a company town, shop at the company store, and work for the company. If we’re lucky enough to have a job at all. This is what they want. This is what they have told us they want. We should believe them.