What to do on November 4

A week from now, subject to the vagaries of ballot counting in this pandemic-challenged election, we will have chosen a President. If the majority of polls are to be believed*, that President will be Joe Biden. It’s possible – but somewhat less likely — that Democrats also will flip enough seats to carry the Senate.

So…what happens now? My fear – one I think is shared by many Americans – is that we will accelerate down the road that has brought us to this point of such stark division, where respectful discourse so often seems to yield to mindless partisanship.

We have seen this play out in so many ways in 2020 — with rancorous arguments over masks and social distancing; over Black Lives Matter and racial justice; and over mail-in balloting and access to the vote. A majority of Americans, survey data shows, believe that the tone of public debate has worsened over the course of the coronavirus crisis, and that our nation has become more divided. The United States is singular in this view among major countries.