If the U.S. doesn't choose Democracy over it's Internet an actual war (not a cyber one) with Russia is likely at some point

How is Russia screwing up the election?

Through the Internet.

How did the U.S. say it would retaliate?

Through a Cyberattack against Russia.

What's the problem with this statement?

The U.S. has at least 100 times as much to lose in a Cyber War than Russia Does.

This is something to keep in mind. Russia is not as dependent on the Internet as
the U.S. infrastructure and Government at this point.

So, we have much more to lose in an actual cyberwar than Russia does.

So, threatening to attack Russia and then not doing it only makes things worse.

A bluff not back up is sort of like the red line in the sand Obama made in Syria and then didn't
do anything.

Part of where we are now is Obama not crossing his red line that he made for Assad.

This is why Russia is testing our election system right now.

Because we haven't done anything seriously enough for them to stop doing what they are doing.

So, what is the answer?

Likely, the only answer that doesn't eventually lead to a nuclear war with Russia at some point and preserves our democracy is to give up our Internet. If you can think of a better way to preserve our democracy without doing this I'm open to suggestions and so is the whole world.

Otherwise, we are now on a slippery slope towards a nuclear war with Russia once again. Only this time it is much worse. Because we have not demonstrated lately what we are made of to Russia and haven't really since World War II, the Korean War and the Viet Nam War before the Cold War ended around 1990.

We have to draw a line in the sand SOMEWHERE and say and mean it "Thus Far and no further".

Otherwise, there is no way to avoid an eventual bloody war with Russia. If you study history at all you know I am right about this.