A pox on both parties’ houses

The Republican primary process has been especially messy, and a circular firing squad mentality has only exacerbated the situation. The establishment wing of the party, both nationally and at the state level, has been the clear loser. Eight GOP governors and four senators have come and gone from the race as Republican voters have made it clear they don’t want an establishment candidate. Donald Trump and Ted Cruz have risen to the top of the field by tapping into the anger millions of voters feel against not just Washington but the GOP establishment as well.

Yet, despite Republican voters’ clear preference for outsiders, establishment figures have openly discussed introducing a fresh face to the field if it were to come down to a contested convention. This would be a clear repudiation of the message voters have sent. Mitt Romney? Paul Ryan? Not only did voters reject them in 2012, but there is no evidence Republican voters would support them this time.

As the establishment parcels out blame for the current sorry state of affairs, it should look to its own candidates. Jeb Bush’s campaign spent tens of millions of dollars taking down one of the party’s most promising candidates, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.

Of course, outsider candidates also own part of the blame for the trainwreck we have seen this cycle. Donald Trump has played the role of the consummate schoolyard bully by, to name just a few examples, attacking Ted Cruz’s wife, disparaging Carly Fiorina’s appearance and stooping as low as to liken Dr. Ben Carson’s “pathological temper” to that of a child molester.

Ted Cruz, meanwhile, has been accused of spreading rumors of competitors dropping out, alleged “dishonest push polls” in South Carolina and setting up a fake Facebook page falsely claiming that he received Rep. Trey Gowdy’s presidential endorsement.

But the Democratic Party isn’t free of blame. President Obama is arguably one of the most polarizing presidents in modern history, regularly pitting various racial, political, religious and economic groups against one another.

What’s more, he is tone-deaf to the concerns of most Americans. His reaction to the recent terror attack in Brussels evinced an utter lack of leadership. While our ally Belgium experienced its worst terror attack since WWII, Obama was performing the wave with a communist dictator at a baseball game in Cuba and dancing the tango in Argentina.

Hillary Clinton, the Democrat presidential front-runner, is facing a federal investigation by the FBI. She has been patently and repeatedly dishonest with the American people — which has reinforced the notion that she will say and do anything to win the presidency.

Clinton ignored protocol by setting up a private server and exclusively using a private email account while at the State Department. She then misled the American people about the classified content on the server. As a result, the majority of Americans believe she is dishonest and have an unfavorable viewpoint of her.

Given the state of affairs, no wonder Americans’ faith in politics has reached near all-time lows. According to Pew Research, Republicans and Democrats are more divided along party lines than at any point in the past two decades. The majority of Americans believe the country is on the wrong track, and over 70 percent say they do not trust politicians.

At a time when Americans are facing astronomical debt and continuing threats from terrorists across the globe, they are desperately searching for a leader who will stand up for them. The only hope is that after the Republican and Democratic nominees have been chosen, they will refrain from the gutter politics that have so far defined the campaign and refocus on the big issues facing our country. But for now: a pox on both parties’ houses.

Lisa Boothe is a contributing columnist for The Washington Examiner and president of High Noon Strategies.