The 2024 U.S. Presidential election isn’t just another tick on the political timeline. It’s a crucial juncture for — quite literally — the future of American democracy. We’re not just deciding who gets to sit in the Oval Office for the next four years. We’re determining the trajectory of our nation, the resilience of our democratic institutions, and the preservation of democratic norms.

Our democracy has been put through the wringer in recent years. Remember 2020? (It may still be 2020 from your vantage point.) We had a sitting president trying to overturn the election results, and his supporters stormed the Capitol, causing scores of injuries and deaths. Now, we’re looking at the possibility of a rematch between President Biden and former President Trump in 2024. Even if Trump manages to not be the GOP nominee, those chasing his tail aren’t any better. This isn’t just about domestic policy, or “R” vs. “D”; the domestic and global impacts are significant.

Now, the lazy media loves a good horse race. They’re all about the odds, the polls, the back-and-forth between candidates. But that’s not what this election is about. It’s not just about who’s leading the polls or who’s predicted to win. It’s 100% about the future of our democracy, the resilience of our institutions, and the direction our country takes for the next 20-40 years.

The 2024 election will have far-reaching implications for a range of policy areas…from the future of abortion, and other critical rights, the U.S.’s role in global conflicts, and domestic issues like voting rights. The balance of power in Congress could also shift, with many key races flying under the radar.

So, while the horse race might be exciting, let’s not lose sight of what’s really at stake here. The 2024 election is about the future of American democracy. It’s about whether our democratic norms will survive and how we’ll navigate a range of critical policy issues. Let’s focus on these stakes, not just the day-to-day fluctuations of the campaign.