Erick Erickson, a prominent and conservative radio figure from Atlanta, recently expressed strong criticisms aimed at both political parties. He remarked that “both sides serve up a crap sandwich of a candidate, point across the aisle at the other side’s crap sandwich, and insist you have to eat theirs because the other one is worse.”
This metaphor resonated with me. I’ve often thought that national politics feels like a mixed dish of hypocrisy. A striking example that comes to mind is when Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders endorsed Graham Platner, a peculiar Senate candidate from Maine with a Nazi tattoo. Honestly, it’s tough to imagine the liberal faction would have been so forgiving if he were a Republican. Their support wavered only after allegations arose that Platner had raped his former girlfriend.
On the Republican side, many stood by North Carolina Rep. Chuck Edwards, despite growing claims of a hostile work environment and sexual harassment. Things came to a head when the House ethics committee recommended censure for his inappropriate behavior towards two female staffers. He had been extravagant with gifts—jewelry, designer bags, vacations, and more—which eventually prompted fellow North Carolina Senator Ted Budd to encourage him to withdraw from the race. And he did.
Erickson lamented that election after election, the candidates seem to get worse, more corrupt, and voters are again being pressured to pick between flawed choices to prevent a catastrophe. He notes, “The doomsday prophecies are simply how the parties dupe voters into holding their noses for their preferred perversions.”
Looking at this year’s campaigns, that seems quite accurate. The rhetoric is quite dramatic; it often hinges on whether a candidate has a D or R next to their name. It’s a classic case of selective outrage—where, if a target switched allegiances, one’s stance would likely shift too.
Right now, the air is thick with anger. There’s war and rising inflation, and it feels like each side is bent on vilifying the other. Social media platforms often amplify this hostility. It’s hard to say which side is worse. Maybe neither—maybe both. Many voters, however, tend to focus more on candidates’ characters rather than the intricate policy differences.
A disillusioned electorate might just choose to stay home come election time, which is crucial for midterms. Veteran political analyst Charlie Cook remarked that independent voters are notoriously unpredictable. They tend not to engage as deeply with news as partisan voters and can quickly turn against candidates they once supported.
It’s worth noting that extremist candidates, thought to be fringe figures, are increasingly common, especially among Democratic socialists winning primaries. Take, for instance, Abdul El-Sayed, the Senate hopeful from Michigan who recently faced backlash for making sympathetic comments about a terrorist attack on a synagogue and who associated with controversial figure Hasan Piker.
On the flip side, Texas Republican Ken Paxton has been impeached by his own party, illustrating the rifts within both sides of the aisle. The days when political opponents like George H.W. Bush would jest about Bill Clinton and Al Gore as “these two bozos” feel long gone.
In this current charged environment, Erickson mentioned facing threats and harassment for his viewpoints, which is disheartening. It’s hard to take pride in our political culture at the moment. The camaraderie of politicians like Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neill, who could argue during the day and share a drink afterward, seems like an impossible dream now.
