Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.

“Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” The King, Henry IV, Part 2, William Shakespeare

Time Magazine

We are in for a really wild ride, because this man is a rat backed into a corner. He has a number of criminal charges ready to be levied against him at 12:01pm on Wednesday, January 20, 2021. He is in love with power and feels that he has unlimited power -- he wants unlimited power. He has white supremacist terrorists at his beck and call. And he is unhinged. 

If you've read Little Sister Resister for very long, you know I am a Pollyanna. If there's a choice between two unknowns, why not choose the more positive scenario? Be optimistic, but don't let your guard down. Act toward the outcome you desire.

And we all have done that over the last four years as we performed our many acts of resistance, and we are doing that now as we vote. However, there are many unknowns about what will happen on November 3 and in the weeks following, and some of the scenarios are pretty darn scary. Pollyanna, step aside for a mo.

It's tragic that in order for our democracy to be saved, the Democrats will need to win in a landslide on Tuesday. It's not enough to "win;" they need to win big. Because if they don't win big, 45 will contest the election. In fact, he's telegraphed that he will contest it anyway by not committing to a peaceful transfer of power.

Be prepared for lawsuits.

He believes the federal courts are his courts because he has appointed a ton of federal judges. I wrote about it in an earlier blog post: Getting scared, but holding on to hope (May 12, 2019). Now he has stacked the Supreme Court with immoral appointees, and our beloved triumvirate system is direly imperiled. 

If you don't remember the 2000 election, we all went to bed on election night confident that we would swear in President Gore. We woke up the next morning – and every morning for the next five weeks – confused and concerned. It wasn't until December 12, 2000 when Bush v. Gore was decided by the Supreme Court of the United States and George W. Bush was declared the winner. Overturning the will of the majority of Americans, SCOTUS handed the Presidency to the loser of the popular vote.

We should be extremely concerned that this could happen again, especially with the newest über-conservative justice (I am still in denial and can't stand to set my fingers to type her name), seated just 8 days before the election and after 60,000,000 votes had been cast. And don't forget: Justice Kavanaugh recently wrote the opinion ruling that Wisconsin mail-in voters must have their ballots received by Election Day to be counted. The whiny boofer is firmly on Team TЯUMP.

Agent Orange will file a lawsuit in any state that is close. He loves big, beautiful lawsuits, and he truly believes that the judges that he has appointed are "his" judges. He believes that the Attorney General is "his" personal attorney and that the Department of Justice is "his" own personal law firm (about which, the other day, a federal judge said "nope"). Now that he has successfully implanted three Supreme Court Justices, he feels that the body is "his" personal Supreme Court as well. And at least one may think of himself as just that: Justice Kavanaugh, remember, was part of George W. Bush's legal team in Bush v. Gore, which ultimately handed the presidency to the loser of the popular vote and arguably the loser of the electoral vote. Watch what he said a generation ago. "What they care about is how to interpret the Constitution -- what are the enduring values that are going to stand a generation from now?" 

And here we are.

Be prepared for violence. 

There may be violence. Forget racist "dog whistles." No, Dingleberry Fuckface has overtly courted white supremacists, and they have overtly acted to do his bidding. Far before the 2016 election, he was cozy with them. His birther claims invited them; he re-tweeted Nazi sympathizers during his first presidential campaign; and he was endorsed by David Duke, former leader of the Ku Klux Klan. Recently, has blamed the Black Lives Matter movement for unrest and spouts nothing but vitriol when he talks about the social movement.

The white supremacists have done his bidding. He put a call out to "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!," and they plotted to do so by planning to kidnap and murder Michigan's governor. There are many examples of what his "very fine people" have done for him (El Paso shooting, anyone?), and there is no sign that they will take his defeat next week gracefully.

Before the 2016 election, J.M. Berger, writing for Politico, outlined the Mango Mussolini's bourgeoning relationship with white supremacists, writing, "If Trump wins the election, subscribers to those views believe, they will be able to claim increased legitimacy and seek a bigger role in mainstream politics." 

And here we are. 

Be prepared for chaos.

What might happen in the 78 days between Election Day and Inauguration Day? 

Dr. Ramani Durvasula, a licensed clinical psychologist and expert on narcissistic personality disorder and narcissistic abuse told Salon, "If Trump loses it will be like watching a three-year-old refuse to go to bed. They will just stand there, poignantly in their Superman pajamas and say NO, I am NOT going to bed, and drop to the ground and scream. Plan on an adult version of that. As is often the case when a difficult personality style like this faces disappointment we tend to see a cascade of reactions – oppositionality, denial, rage, despair, paranoia, more rage, entitlement, victimhood, and vindictiveness." She and Yale psychologist Dr. Bandy X. Lee, warn of "rage" and "terror" after the election.

Unfortunately, we do not have a three-year-old on our hands. We have a powerful king-wannabe, who lies with uneasy head, who has power to mobilize a military, and who does not and will not play by any set of rules but his own. 

If he loses, he will still have 78 days to further bastardize the presidency. He may try everything in his still-active power to disrupt the transition. The Transition Integrity Project, a bipartisan group of over 100 experts, spent time over the summer speculating about many scenarios, including 45's corrupt use of power that "would prioritize personal gain and self-protection over ensuring an orderly administrative handoff to his successor. Trump may use pardons to thwart future criminal prosecution, arrange business deals with foreign governments that benefit him financially, attempt to bribe and silence associates, declassify sensitive documents, and attempt to divert federal funds to his own businesses." That's probably just the tip of the iceberg.

I had thought of this scenario, and TIP did also: 45's legal preservation for himself and his family may be of utmost importance. It's possible he would resign on January 19, 2021 or before and count on President Pence to issue pardons and handle the transition. 

I encourage you to read TIP's report. They thought through many scenarios, and the report is extensive and sobering. Read the end, too, about the lingering "Trumpism" that may occur even when he does leave office.  Does anyone believe he will retire quietly, as dozens of presidents have done before? MAGA TV anyone? Put it on channel 666.

What if 45 refuses to leave the White House on January 20? Who will remove him? There have been many who have speculated as to that scenario. Think about that. For the first time in our history, we are worried that the former president will not leave willingly. 

Be prepared for anything.

What we can do to prepare: state and local governments and election officials will have to be prepared to stand very strong in their certification of results. 

Constitutionally, the Congress has a role in certifying the electoral votes and transitioning power. Both the Senate and the House have already voted to affirm the peaceful transfer of power after this election. The Senate vote was unanimous. The House vote was 397-5. The five hold outs who would not affirm this most-revered American tradition? All Repugs, of course. You can guess the ones who voted against it: Matt Gaetz (FL), Louie Gohmert (TX), Steve King (IA), Thomas Massie (KY), and Clay Higgins (LA). Matt Gaetz is one of the most odious members of Congress in our history. I wish the loudmouth would go away, but Florida's 1st District voters want him to stay. Dang.

Given that the Orange Scourge is their disease, the GOP must take a role in insisting on the peaceful transfer of power. They must not help wage a coup. Will they have the cajones to stand up to him when the rubber hits the road? GOP leaders have stated they will, but yanno, I'll believe it when I see it. 

Media and social media will have a role to sound alarms, report the truth, and call for action.

Ultimately, it may be up to us. We may have to take to the streets. Read this article. Plan ahead. And be prepared to prevent a coup. We may not have much time to stop one.

And there we are. 

Buckle up. Read. Rise. Resist. Our democracy depends on it.