America’s most consequential presidential elections have been decided over how presidential candidates dealt with the following wars: Civil War, World Wars I and II, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Every presidential election cycle we hear the same refrain: This is the most important election in history! Even though America is at peace, this time it’s really one of the most important presidential elections in history, because democracy itself is at stake.

Trump has run roughshod over every pillar of our democracy: freedom of the press, the independence of the judiciary, the trustworthiness of the election process. The choice isn’t between the Republican Party and the Democrat Party, it’s between Trump and democracy.

America’s endless wars, Afghanistan and Iraq aren’t even background noise, the central fight is over Donald Trump.

Trump assumed office with no overarching agenda except to burnish his brand, and not just his political brand, but his business and entertainment brands as well.

Trump hasn’t sought to ensure his reelection by expanding his base, instead of making overtures to his political opposition, he ridicules, threatens and demonizes them.

Trump is betting that the blind loyalty of his base will be enough to prevail in a historically close election that may very well be decided by the Supreme Court that includes three Justices that he nominated.

It’s incumbent upon us who love democracy to turn out in droves on election day to prevent this nightmare scenario.