Keep the political forum as-is, and make no changes.
Make the current forum invisible to guests, but nix the idea of a new forum.
Create the new forum, but keep the existing forum visible to everyone.
Go with the new plan as outined... new forum and marking the existing forum invisible to guests.
The nuclear option: Delete the political forum and rid us of politics altogether.
Dance naked with a rubber hose and stuffed animal
QAnon / GOP Republicans mentally lack the necessary intelligence to even tell a decent lie (Ex: A cabal of Satanic, cannibalistic pedophiles run a global child sex trafficking ring and conspired against former President Dotard dRUMPf during his term in office... Jewish space lasers, etc.). What in the hell makes anyone believe these melon heads can actually govern?