Not to be argumentative at all, and hi bowser, btw...

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.