The Trump phone call shows the big difference between negotiating business deals and governmental affairs. Look at the way Trump talks to Raffensperger - no evidence, but just enough complicating detail to try and force the opposing party into explaining

Debate 101: if you’re explaining you’re losing. And if you worry you might have to explain in a lawsuit, you accept there is a chance - however slim - you might lose.

That’s where Trump’s next rhetorical tactic comes in - threaten legal action and criminal fallout.

In business, you might well choose to settle. You think you’ve got a 2% chance of losing? Why pay the legal fees and the opportunity cost of being tangled up in litigation when you can settle? Trump the businessman knows this, hence his constant lawsuits and refusal to pay bills.

But an election is something different. There’s no private settlement here where a binding contract keeps both sides quiet. This can only be done in the public gaze, and the costs are high to elected officials. There’s no quiet risk calculation.