Here is how it all unfolds.

Trump loses. He loses badly. The numbers are so clear and decisive that there is no wiggle room for Trump to claim fraud. The victory is decisive.

Trump does not concede defeat because he and his family are all busy packing.

Trump abdicates his “MAGA throne,” goes into exile in Russia, and sets up a shadow government. The money he has squeezed from the faithful in side scams and the money he has harvested from foreign interests is already safely deposited in Russian vaults and bitcoin portfolios.

Putin gives Trump a hero’s welcome, hugs and kisses all around. Russia grants Trump immunity and sovereignty and assures him that he will never be deported to the United States to face the many civil, state, and federal cases.

Melania is given the highest honor in the country for turning and managing Trump all these years. Trump and his family, without Melania, move into a Moscow apartment complex, not as grand as he is used to but adequate. He also has the expansive dacha in the countryside.

The many other cases against him— states, civil, and federal are stalled. He may be adjudicated in abstenía in some cases but public interest largely fades. The newly elected president wants her term to be defined by progress, not the slowly grinding wheels of justice.

Trump tries to set up a faux presidency in absentia. FOX hires him as a commentator but soon grows tired of muting his constant litany of personal grievances. He tries to hawk bitcoins, NFT cards, sneakers, bibles, and the like but foreign nations no longer have an interest in funneling money to him and his causes.

Trump soon fades into obscurity, like Russian princes of old. It’s a sentence worse than prison but he will live well. Within two years, he is dead from obesity and a host of colon maladies. He dies on a Russian golf course (if there is such a thing). He is buried with honors but attendance is sparse.

Within six months, Russia quietly asks his sons to seek sanctuary elsewhere. Perhaps North Korea? Or Saudi Arabia?

The United States media barely takes notice.

Meanwhile, the U.S. expands the Supreme Court by two members thanks to the majority Democratic House and Senate, and President. Strict ethical guidelines are imposed on the court by Congress. Three current members announce early retirements.

Major reforms are enacted on citizenship for immigrants, temporary work permits for seasonal workers, and processing at the border where a new Ellis Island is created. Immigrants living in the U.S. for more than five years while contributing to society, holding responsible jobs, and creating families are granted immunity and a quick pathway to citizenship.

With temporary work permits, there is actually an exodus of migrants who can now cross the border in both directions legally and without harassment. This puts a major dent into cartel smuggling and human trafficking operations. Registered migrant laborers are now paid fair wages from which taxes are deducted.

The Trump wall continues to decay, although one section is salvaged and turned into a national memorial and reminder of the darker times when so many lives were lost or ruined in trying to cross into the United States.

Presidents Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico and Kamala Harris of the United States both attend the ceremony and continue talking as they have since both were elected as the first female presidents of the Western Hemisphere’s two most powerful nations. Finding so much in common, the two presidents build an unprecedented era of cooperation and goodwill. One of Harris’s first acts is to halt the flow of illegal weapons into Mexico and scrutinize the flow of dark money between the two countries. A badly crippled network of cartels immediately feels the impact.

Mexico continues to grow its Middle Class through expansion of manufacturing and exporting of goods. Prosperity reaches deep into the population. For the first time in history, it makes more economic sense for Mexican citizens to stay home and work than pursue jobs in the U.S. or Europe.

As for weapons, the United States begins to clean up its own backyard. The purchase of all weapons now requires national registration and a waiting period. Red flag policies are tightened and databases on violent and/or emotionally unstable purchasers is refined. Nobody can buy an assault weapon. Researchers are once again allowed to track national statistics on gun violence.

Other improvements in the United States include a more-robust disaster response program that works hand-in-hand with national weather services and global warming research teams.

Public schools undergo a renaissance that includes a 10-to-1 student-to-teacher ratio, refurbished schools, the return of arts and music programs, and badly needed upgrades to science and technology programs. Voucher programs for non-public schools fall into disuse and are largely abandoned.

The new president continues to roll out the largest infrastructure program ever, created under the Biden administration. City-to-city high-speed rail construction is re-energized as airline industry lobbies diminish in power. Bicycle paths are built and become Amsterdam-class commuter pathways. Every American receives internet access.

Other crazies will take Trump’s place but none can out-Trump Trump. As his memory quickly fades, so does the movement. Wider disclosure of disinformation campaigns from Russia, North Korea, and other operatives renders them mostly useless.

The newly established Reformed Republican Party platform, under the leadership of Liz Cheney, is conservative yet compassionate and many old GOP members find a home there.

The tradition of vigorous debate, compromise, and loyal opposition (aka Democracy) is revived.

The ultra-rich are taxed at a flat 35 percent to fund progressive policies that make the U.S. the “New Finland.” Our allies are proud to call us friend again and our enemies seek to resume business with us on a fairer playing field for all.

Butterflies come back, signaling a change in nature’s spiraling descent. Polar ice caps grow, oceans cool down, coral reefs regenerate, and the dolphins finally agree to speak directly to us.

And finally, Bob Seger has a surprise No. 1 hit song, his first since 1987’s “Shakedown,” that is so good it restores rock ‘n’ roll to its proper place at the top of the musical hierarchy. Auto-tune dies in the shadows.