UART baud rate error tolerance
I would rather that the "baud rate clock" drifts from the center of the bit towards the end of the bit.


That's fine when looking at the receiver, but keep in mind that UART communications is usually two-way. If you send with a slow clock, then you're putting the receiver at the other end at a greater disadvantage.

It's better to pick the smallest absolute error for the best performance in both directions.