The Trump era is over

When the history of the 2026 midterm elections is written, the most remembered political advertisement will be Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s (R) commercial starring the mother of his opponent, Dr. Amy Acton (D).

Acton was called a “liar” by her mother, who fled the state along with her abusive husband after he was charged with raping Acton, his stepdaughter. Removed from her home by the state of Ohio, Acton had not seen her mother since 1978.

Ramaswamy’s advertisement generated an immediate political backlash. Ohio’s Republican governor, Mike DeWine, urged Ramaswamy to take it off the air. Local businesses canceled events featuring the beleaguered Republican candidate. And the Cleveland Plain Dealer endorsed Acton, saying that Ramaswamy had “crossed a line.”

But President Trump and JD Vance doubled down in backing Ramaswamy. Trump said that if a candidate’s mother called her daughter a liar, that was political “gold.” Vance complained that Republicans should “stop whining” about Ramaswamy’s tactics, adding, “Politics is a tough business.” After spending $1 million, the Ramaswamy campaign took the controversial ad off the air.

But something bigger than the misadventures of one Republican candidate is at work here. In Kansas, a pastor has a chance to win a Senate seat Democrats have not won since 1932. And in Texas, a state senator and seminarian, has consistently run ahead in the polls, giving Democrats a chance to win a U.S. Senate seat in a state where the party has not won one since 1988.

Some have said that only Trump could have gotten away with running an ad........

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