And Al Gore won! I hate that universe. That's not quite right. I envy that universe. People in authority who respect science made so much difference there, not just for climate change, but fighting pandemics as well.

This kind of thinking always sends me down the rabbit hole of "what ifs." What if John F. Kennedy had ducked before that third shot? We'd have colonies on Mars by now.

You're right that we should learn not to pay attention to the distractions of third party candidates. I learned that lesson in 1980 when I foolishly voted for John Bayard Anderson. A wise friend explained the futility of that vote. It didn't really matter in 1980. Reagan won by a lot, 9.7% of the popular vote and 489 to 49 in the electoral vote.