The Republican argument is more complex: We too think the country is substantially on the wrong track, with a recession, endless coronavirus lockdowns that inhibit a recovery, violent protests that are coinciding with a more general increase in violent crime in some large cities, woke capitalism, politically correct “cancel culture” run amuck, and a whole host of other problems that the Democrats threaten to make worse.

We think what happened to George Floyd is terrible and requires some form of policy solution, Republicans continue, pointing to recent criminal justice measures and Sen. Tim Scott’s (R-S.C.) recent police reform bill, but we also can’t prevent police departments from doing their jobs. We need to manage the coronavirus, but we can’t shut down the economy until there’s a vaccine and we have to allow for some local variety in mitigation practices.

The argument is further complicated by the fact that some Republicans, occasionally including Trump himself, aren’t really directing it against Biden himself. Yes, the former vice president is more liberal than a Republican this side of John Kasich would prefer. But the larger problem is the socialists and radicals his election would almost certainly unleash.