I know plenty of Americans like the idea of gridlock - the more the government finds itself blocked at every turn, the less they can get in our way, that sort of thinking. And as long as the government at state and local level remains functional, that reasoning may make sense for some domains. But for others, you really do need a functioning federal government and Congress. I think having a buffoon in the White House who's at war with both parties in Congress would get really old, really fast.

Part of me still thinks that Trump is trolling us all as you said - in the sense that his campaigning persona can't possibly be real, and that one day he'll say 'enough with the games' and suddenly start acting like an adult. And if that's the case, his presidency might not be so terrible as all that - but considering that the angry toddler act gets him so many votes, would his voters appreciate that? In any case he's probably ruined his international reputation so thoroughly already that he'd make America look bad even if he dropped the day after the election. Or even tomorrow.

It probably goes without saying that in your scenario I'd vote for Hillary, or Bernie Sanders, or Dennis Kucinich if it came down to that, over Trump. The only matchup involving Trump that would give me a moment's pause is against Ben Carson. Even Rick Santorum looks like a better president, and that's saying something.