Steve Taylor: A couple of nights ago, I watched a basketball game between the Toronto Raptors (2019 champions) and Los Angeles Lakers (2020 champions). The Raptors won 121 to 114.

We can conclude that, by the result of this game, the Raptors will win the 2021 NBA champion.

Silly right? Yet this is a similar silliness to many American elections. The results are often close enough that a certain event a week before voting day or a little bit of cheating can affect the final outcome.

An 81m to 74m popular vote is not a decisive victory. Many of the voters in both camps were traditional non-voters who were awakened by the noise caused by Mr. Trump. They could go back to sleep again.

USA electoral processes are, these days, like dancing the tango on the edge of a cliff. Eventually a misstep is going to happen. January 6 was almost a misstep.

Claim an 81m vs. 74m as decisive victory is asking for another potential misstep.