It’s debatin’ season

How important is the upcoming election? It doesn’t get much more stark than this: 17% of American voters believe that U.S. democracy can only be saved by “working outside the law,” according to a new poll from The New York Times/Siena College. If that doesn’t sound like much, bear in mind that it translates into 28 million Americans. One means of “working outside the law” is taking up arms, cited by 10% of respondents. New reports suggesting that some members of government agencies, including the Secret Service, may have engaged in “criminal” activity with regard to Jan. 6, cast these findings in an even more troubling light. It is imperative that a strong pro-democracy coalition remain in leadership throughout government to defend our institutions. Vote wisely. —Melissa Amour, Managing Editor

• Russia destroys power and water infrastructure across Ukraine —Reuters

• Biden admin officials weigh discouraging U.S. firms from expanding ties with Saudis —NBC News

• Biden to pledge codifying abortion rights if Democrats expand majorities —The New York Times

• Primary source for Trump-Russia dossier acquitted, handing special counsel Durham another trial loss —CNN

• Trump charged Secret Service 'exorbitant' hotel rates, records show —The Washington Post

‘Mr. Lee, you voted for me’

Independent U.S. Senate candidate Evan McMullin gave his Republican opponent, incumbent Sen. Mike Lee, a reminder of who he used to be at their debate at Utah Valley University last night. Lee was a fierce critic of Donald Trump in 2016, when McMullin ran an independent campaign against him, earning Lee’s vote in the process. Since then, Lee has gone in a very different direction—including aiding Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. “You urged the White House to find fake electors to overturn the will of the people,” McMullin said. “You have betrayed your oath to the Constitution. You’re doing a tremendous disservice to this country.” Tough words, but fair. —The Salt Lake Tribune

• Ohio. Another U.S. Senate race got heated last night when Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan faced off against Republican opponent J.D. Vance for their final meeting. Ryan called out Vance for defending far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, and accused Vance of espousing “white replacement theory," a racist, anti-immigrant ideology—a charge Vance vehemently denied. Ryan also skewered Vance, once a prominent Trump critic, for “calling Trump America’s Hitler, then [kissing] his ass.” Ouch. —Axios

• Georgia. In the Georgia gubernatorial race between Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams, Abrams is counting on Democratic energy surrounding the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision on abortion to put her over the top. She needs the boost: she has trailed in polling all year, with Kemp leading by 5 to 6 percentage points in averages of recent surveys. Kemp signed a ban on abortions after six weeks, but said at last night’s debate that he does not plan to pursue further restrictions or target contraception if re-elected. Abrams, who contested the election results when she lost to Kemp before, vowed to accept the result of the election, win or lose. —NBC News

• Florida. A race that’s drawn considerably less attention this cycle is taking place in the Sunshine State between Republican Sen. Marco Rubio and Democratic Rep. Val Demings. National Democrats cheered when the moderate congresswoman announced she would challenge the incumbent Rubio, but have offered little in the way of support since. If you’d like to catch a sparring match between the two U.S. Senate candidates, tune in to their lone debate tonight at 7p ET. —CNN

MORE: How Utah's Evan McMullin could become a key U.S. Senate power broker —Reuters

Longwell: Where have all the ‘good Republicans’ gone?

“[The] reality is that the supposedly Good Republicans aren’t going to drag the party toward them. They’re the ones who are going to move. After all, the hard-right MAGA types aren’t the ones compromising. Think of it this way: Did Glenn Youngkin move Republican voters? Or did Republican voters move Glenn Youngkin? Ask Kari Lake. She knows. And that’s the choice for the remaining Good Republicans. You can play ball with the base, with Trump, with Bannon, with Lake, with your new lunatic colleagues. Or, like Ben Sasse, you can tap out. Either way, you can’t ignore the truth: The Good Republicans are gone. Probably for good.” —Sarah Longwell in The xxxxxx

Sarah Longwell is the publisher of The xxxxxx.

MORE: Jonathan Bernstein: Republicans threaten democracy by indulging demagogues —Bloomberg

Bauder: In the wake of Alex Jones verdict, disinfo is going anywhere 

“To some, disinformation is the price America pays for the right to free speech. And in a society that popularized the term ‘alternative facts,’ one person’s effort to curb disinformation is another person’s attempt to squash the truth. … Certainly, the people who believe that [radio host Alex] Jones and those like him are voices of truth being suppressed by society aren’t going to be deterred by the jury verdict, [Rebecca Adelman, a communications professor at the University of Maryland,] said. In fact, the opposite is likely to be true.” —David Bauder in The Lewiston Tribune

David Bauder is a media writer at The Associated Press.

MORE: Foreign election disinformation campaigns well underway, researchers say —Voice of America

Voters say democracy is under threat 

A newly released New York Times-Siena College poll validates what we’re all thinking: Americans believe U.S. democracy is under threat. A full 71% of registered voters agreed with that statement, and the issue was the third-highest listed concern for voters after inflation and the economy. Voters disagree on what those threats are, however. The largest share of respondents, 14%, said that government corruption is to blame for the current threat to democracy, followed by polarization, President Biden, and Donald Trump, among other factors. In a separate question, about 67% of respondents said Trump is either a major or minor threat, while 31% said he isn’t a threat at all. On the positive side, the poll shows that American voters remain stalwartly optimistic. About 81% agreed with the statement that our democracy can be rescued “within our laws and institutions.” Let’s get to it. —The Hill

MORE: Thomas Carothers: America's democratic backsliding is not universal —Foreign Policy

Temko: When leaders don’t listen 

“[British Prime Minister Liz] Truss’ dismissal of civil servants and other analysts as mere ‘bean-counters’ echoes an increasing trend among populist-minded leaders in Western democracies, characterizing all experts as tunnel-vision elitists, allegedly part of an unaccountable ‘deep state.’ That’s a political judgment, but with real-world policy effects. One example is the way in which former U.S. President Donald Trump shrugged off experts’ warnings during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, preferring to repeatedly play down its seriousness. Neither are autocrats immune. Russian President Vladimir Putin rolled his tanks into Ukraine in the clear expectation of a fairly easy victory, ignoring skeptical voices. The result has been the battlefield morass in which his forces now find themselves.” —Ned Temko in The Christian Science Monitor

Ned Temko is an author and foreign correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor. Over a decades-long career, he has covered a wide range of stories, including the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and Nelson Mandela’s release from prison.

MORE: Francis Fukuyama: Still the end of history —The Atlantic

Fingerhut: Down but not out

“While about two-thirds of voters say they are pessimistic about politics, overwhelming majorities across party lines—about 8 in 10–say casting their ballot this year is extremely or very important. The findings demonstrate how this year’s midterms are playing out in a unique environment, with voters both exhausted by the political process and determined to participate in shaping it. That could result in high turnout for a midterm election.” —Hannah Fingerhut in The Associated Press

Hannah Fingerhut is a polling reporter at The Associated Press and former research analyst at Pew Research Center.

MORE: Ahead of election, some Democrats stress bipartisan work with GOP —Roll Call

I watched the Jan. 6 committee vote to subpoena former President Donald Trump, and it did not surprise me. He should testify and explain his actions or the lack thereof. If he is not guilty of any wrongdoing, he has nothing to worry about. I am interested in what he has to say. —John C., Florida

My wife, a left-of-center Democrat, agreed with Ted Kennedy on virtually everything. 

And Ronald Reagan on just about nothing. 

But if Kennedy had prevailed over Jimmy Carter and been the 1980 Democratic Presidential nominee, she would not have voted for him. 

My wife mentioned this to similarly liberal friends when it appeared Kennedy had a chance to overtake President Carter, and when asked how she could not vote for him...particularly if a staunch conservative like Reagan were the Republican candidate, her answer was short and simple:

"He left a girl to drown in a pond."

The cascading revelations against Herschel Walker may be providing Georgia Republicans with their own "Girl in the Pond" moment. Granted, none of Herschel's misdeeds have reached Chappaquiddick levels...yet...but a similar question can be raised: 

Can you in good conscience vote for someone so deeply and personally flawed?

Not that good Republicans should vote for Warnock, any more than my wife should have voted for Reagan.

They should do what my wife would have done had Kennedy won the Democratic nomination:

Voted for neither.

Because sometimes the best choice, is no choice. —Jim V., New York

The views expressed in "What's Your Take?" are submitted by readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff or the Renew America Foundation.