The problem with your rubric about close elections is that, as you note immediately after, some things require a choice. One can either punish attacks on democracy or allow the democracy to be defeated. One can either accept trans people/immigrants/etc or allow them to be demonized. One can either accommodate new people in our community or allow housing prices to rise without limit.
We do not face the choice of whether to preserve the fence, it has already been washed away by the sea.
The problem with your rubric about close elections is that, as you note immediately after, some things require a choice. One can either punish attacks on democracy or allow the democracy to be defeated. One can either accept trans people/immigrants/etc or allow them to be demonized. One can either accommodate new people in our community or allow housing prices to rise without limit.
We do not face the choice of whether to preserve the fence, it has already been washed away by the sea.