1. Infinite Absurdity
One of the arguments conservatives (and Republicans1) had with each other back in 2016 was:
But what if your vote decided the election? Wouldn’t you have to vote for Donald Trump then?
There was an absurd, bullying quality to this line of questioning, which sought to create an alibi for people who knew that what they were doing was bad. It tried to conjure a hypothetical scenario that could not even theoretically apply to the large majority of Americans—unless you lived in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, or Georgia there was zero chance that your vote could decide the presidential election. And even if you did live in one of those states, the chances of the election being decided by a single vote—or even a handful of votes—is very, very small.
The entire exercise was about self-justification in the face of corruption. Imagine someone saying,
Join Bulwark+ to unlock the rest
Become a paying member of The Bulwark to get access to this post and other subscriber-only content. A subscription gets you:
- Unlimited access to articles and newsletters including The Triad by JVL and Receipts by Catherine Rampell.
- Ad-free editions of our shows (with transcripts) and member-only shows like The Secret Podcast.
- Plus community chats and commenting features. Your support helps keep our work sustainable and available to those who cannot afford a membership. Cancel anytime.