For my part, I believe that the integrity of our system and our institutions, and hence the anathematization of Trumpian lies aimed at reversing the election, should be lexically prioritized over policy disputes, however important those disputes may be. By this I mean that, just as every word starting with “a” appears in the dictionary before every word starting with “b,” every threat to our system and institutions — such as the threat Trump now poses — should be considered a graver matter than every concern about policy. In terms of loyalty: Nation over faction. In terms of consequences: You can reverse policies more easily than you can repair damage to our practice of republican democracy itself, and that damage will tend to be farther-reaching than bad policies.

I would find it almost impossible to vote for a candidate who endorsed some of the policies that Georgia’s Democratic Senate candidates do. I would find it simply impossible to vote for a candidate who facilitated Trump’s efforts to delegitimize and steal an election. Whether by assertion or evasion, the effect is the same.