Two politicians stand at podiums facing each other. One has a handgun pointed at the other's chest.

The Hard Right Aren’t Democratic Opponents — They’re Enemies Of Democracy

An opponent is someone with whom you have a shared understanding and agreement about the rules, and system. Regardless of who wins, the system survives. An enemy, by contrast, wants to destroy your system, and they’ll do it by pretending to honor the rules, and breaking them whenever convenient. Lying, cheating, rigging, propaganda, bribery, imprisonment of competitors, whatever it takes.