...extremely sad and disheartening that Republicans have become willing to subvert democracy in order to keep the reins of power

Agree with the above. The only thing I will add - and that makes it more depressing - is a thought experiment:

If in an alternative timeline TFG had ridden the escalator down to declare his candidacy as a D instead of an R (presumably while wearing a blue MAGA cap) - I see no empiric reason why the surviving D leadership would over the ensuing six years not have behaved in the same way that the R leadership has done.

It may be that Ds, as a group, are marginally less venal than Rs. But the love of power over years relentlessly selects the behavior we have seen.

Until late 2016, I hadn't considered that I could spend four solid years continually aghast.

/Debbie downer

The fact remains that the single most effective we can do is vote against the party that did, in fact, behave that way. And not just in federal elections, but in state, county, municipal-level elections. If the local party committee doesn't disavow this behavior, then they will not get my vote. In any election, for the foreseeable future

--sutton
bluish-purple state, purple county, red community.