If the reform bills fail to pass — as seems all but certain, since the Democrats lack a sufficient majority in the Senate and two of their senators are opposed to suspending the filibuster — Biden’s rhetoric will have laid the groundwork for a truly chilling scenario: When Democrats next lose an election, they will view the result as illegitimate. In a country as closely and bitterly divided as the U.S., it’s hard to think of a more toxic intervention…

Biden is now calling for the filibuster to be set aside so the reform measures can be passed. For any ordinary piece of legislation, this would be unwise, for the reasons the president used to explain when he was a senator in the minority. But a partisan vote to remake election rules would be especially reckless. It’s crucial to lift election procedures above the political fray so they command respect and confidence across the partisan divide…

In 2022, the principal threat to American democracy is not racist voter suppression but the inability of two raging political tribes to come to terms about anything, including whether the orderly transition of power is still possible.