The last few weeks have been illuminating in the manner of a headlamp pointing the way to some deep, dark, murky netherworld.

Graham Platner, a hero to the populist set on the Democratic side, became his party’s Senate nominee in Maine. While across the fields of Texas, MAGA favorite Ken Paxton handily defeated an establishment Republican of long standing to claim that Senate nomination.

These two battles – in Maine between Platner and GOP incumbent Susan Collins and in Texas between Paxton and Democratic standard-bearer James Talarico – will be among the most closely watched and hotly contested of this cycle.

But beyond doing much to determine which party will control that august body going forward, the nominations of both Platner and Paxton speak volumes about the sorry state of American politics.

Taken together, and with countless other shady examples on both sides of the aisle, Platner and Paxton beg the question of whether character is still a consideration in our political world. Does it matter?

Moreover, the way in which partisans on both sides have expressed no end of outrage about the other guy while rushing to the instinctive defense of their own is all the evidence needed as to the situational ethics that rule the day. What is overlooked or excused on one’s own side is grossly unacceptable and abhorrent on the part of the hated opposition.

Individually or taken together, Platner and Paxton are not exactly examples of personal rectitude, high moral standards and living life the right way.

Platner boasts a Totenkopf tattoo on his chest, a skull-and-crossbones symbol worn by Nazi SS paramilitary troopers. Even if he did not understand the significance of the mark when he got the tattoo on a drunken night in Croatia, his claim that he only recently understood its meaning defies credibility. In short, it is nonsense.

The SS tattoo is hardly Platner’s only blemish. Multiple women he dated a decade back have come forward with stories of weird conduct. His Reddit from years ago contained disturbing comments about rape and sexual assault. More recently, his wife brought forward his predilection for sexting various women even after they had tied the knot.

Across the country and the partisan divide, Paxton, long the Attorney General of Texas, is about as unsavory, unprincipled a politician as has come along in many years.

Paxton was indicted a decade back for failing to register as a securities dealer and defrauding investors. In 2023, he was impeached by a vote of 121-23 in the Republican-controlled Texas State House on 20 articles of bribery, abuse of public trust and obstruction of justice. Even as the State Senate fell short of the votes to convict him and remove him from office.

His wife, herself a Texas state senator, filed for divorce last year, citing adultery and “biblical grounds.” Paxton seems like a creature out of the political thriller, “House of Cards.” Though that series was fictional (sort of), Paxton is all too real.

Paxton won his primary largely thanks to a late boost from an endorsement from President Trump. It is the most coveted blessing in Republican politics and the only one that really matters.

Of course, Trump is a walking, breathing embodiment of the bottoming out of character as a political requirement. Except for his not-small number of ultra-loyal, never-critical disciples, most in Trump’s party support him in spite of his abundant character defects.

Back to Platner, he effectively eliminated the Democratic competition in Maine with his energy and fresh appeal, a heavy dose of populist rhetoric and a notion of authenticity. More than one observer has commented on that latter piece as Platner’s key attribute.

But authenticity by itself is neither good nor bad. Authentic virtue is indeed to be sought. But one can just as well be authentically horrible. Where is the value in that? Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy were genuine, bona fide serial killers. Should we award them posthumous gold ribbons for how authentically they went about their craft?

I am not naïve and understand that there have long been scoundrels in our public square. Some have even governed with distinction. What has become ever more exaggerated is the extreme partisanship of excusing the low-life on your own side while castigating the wretches across the way.

Too many Democrats provide a perfect example in their condemnation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for his tattoos harkening back to the Christian Crusades while conveniently looking away from Platner’s Nazi-era ink. Hegseth is plenty condemnable for reasons far beyond his body art, but is it too much to ask for just a bit of consistency?

The declining and selective demand for character in our politicians speaks to the tribal polarization we are living through and to the lowered expectations most voters have of their elected officials. Neither is sustainable; neither bodes well for the years ahead.

On that score, it might be a small step forward if voters exclude both Messrs. Platner and Paxton from the halls of power. The Republic would be better off without them.

Eric Sondermann is a Colorado-based independent political commentator. He writes regularly for Colorado Politics and The Gazette. Reach him at EWS@EricSondermann.com; follow him at @EricSondermann