1) Best path to Republican unity and progress starting in January: Trent humbly steps down as Majority Leader for the good of the country, his party, and his President..and takes a nice chairmanship. GOP ranks will close behind and in front of him, and he can serve in the Senate as long as his constituents will have him...which is likely to be as long as he wants to.
2) Lousy status quo option: Trent stays put and fights it out. Upside is that he will be demonstrating guts for once in his life, and that could translate into his Senate work...stranger things have happened. Downside is that he will still be a poor face on the Party, in all likelihood still be dancing for the race pimps as long as they keep calling the tune, still unwilling to advance a conservative agenda...and that the vast majority of the GOP rank and file don't like or trust him as a leader.
3) Doomsday Scenario: The Lott supporters here have already drawn that picture for us all just fine...but I will keep reminding them that for Lott to make good on that threat would mean his political doom forever...he would go down as a traitor of the highest order.