OK new way to put this, which is hopefully less partisan or inflammatory: we should, if we are going to have voting be the way that we choose our leaders, make sure that voting is as transparent and nonpartisan as possible,

so that any accusations of election compromise are a) not true and b) not credible. And also, we should, if we are going to have a country, not hold each other in contempt.

I think the former is an easier lift than the latter. The fact of two parties seems to *mean* that inevitably the friend-enemy distinction gets imported into the electoral process/into the polity.

I think there's probably a specific constellation of virtues to overcome the structural temptations to fall victim to this dichotomous thinking. We need those virtues A LOT. We need so much of them. BUCKETS of virtue. Go find it, go get it.

One really good way to do this is to BE FRIENDS WITH PEOPLE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM.

If a) you don't have people you're friends with on the other "team" who you trust and like and regularly shoot the sh8t with, and b) you also think that the other team is evil and stupid and there is no future for this country, consider that B is CAUSED IN PART BY A.