Claire Potter The erosion of democracy wasn’t gradual; the writing was on the wall. It was the public understanding that lapsed. The recent Trumpist attempt to overturn an election now ends the fantasy that American democracy is distinct. Political junkie Claire Potter weighs in. Around this time, four years ago, I was writing an essay about the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on Jeff Sessions’ nomination as Attorney General. In the essay, I focused on concerns expressed by Democrats and civil rights groups concerning Sessions’ attitudes about race during his time as a US Attorney, questionable statements and actions that derailed his appointment as a federal judge in 1986. Remember when Jeff Sessions’ alleged racism was the most shocking thing we