Voting for a third party is the most unforgivable election sin. It’s pretending the choice doesn’t matter when really, even if you think both candidates are terrible, the choice matters.

Bret: That was my rationale in 2016 — I thought that voting for anyone but Hillary Clinton would be a cop-out for those of us opposed to Trump. But I also felt Clinton would be a reasonable president. This time there are too many potential Democratic nominees that I can’t vote for in good conscience, especially Sanders and Warren. So it just might be Bill Weld or Joe Libertarian or Mary-Write-In for me.

Gail: I guess we can pick that particular subject up again in, oh, 489 days.

Bret: But who’s counting?

Gail: Speaking of unforgivable sins against a democracy, I’m still mulling the last two Supreme Court decisions. They wiped their hands of partisan gerrymandering. And although they hedged on Trump’s census question about legal citizenship, I have a feeling that John Roberts is just repositioning on that one.

Bret: Roberts has become the Court’s new Anthony Kennedy, which definitely keeps things interesting. I only wish the liberals on the court would occasionally surprise me more with their decisions.

Gail: The idea that state legislatures have the right to design weirdly shaped voting districts to make sure their favorite party gets the advantage is so undemocratic, it — O.K., it makes perfect sense to come out of the Mitch McConnell era.

Bret: I was torn about that decision. I agree with you that partisan gerrymanders are undemocratic. They’re also driving our politics to extremes, since representatives in safe districts are only concerned about challenges from within their own party. Then again, I was reluctantly convinced by the conservatives on the court that the judiciary has no business drawing districts instead of politicians. I think this was a case of the court saying, “physician, heal thyself.”

Gail: Those decisions were awful, but hardly our worst problem with the judiciary. People are losing faith in the institution. Senator McConnell spent the entire Obama administration refusing to allow judges to be confirmed so on every level — from Supreme on down — the next Republican president would have a chance to pack the courts. Of all the evil deeds going on in Washington these days, this one makes me most crazy.