It’s frustrating how eagerly the media repeat accusations of liberal extremism while treating extreme Republican positions as somehow normal. They constantly demand policy details from Kamala Harris while asking no such thing from Trump. (If it’s because they think he doesn’t have any, is that not worth reporting?) They obsessed about Biden’s age and mental deterioration while shrugging off Trump’s obvious mental decline. And then there was the frenzy over Hilary’s emails eight years ago and a comparative shrug at Trump’s much larger breaches of national security.

When Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, was interviewed on CNN this past July, he was asked about Trump’s accusation that he’s a “big government liberal.” Thankfully Walz, instead of taking the bait, owned the accusation: “Kids are eating and having full bellies so they can go learn, and women are making their own health care decisions, and we’re a top five business state, and we also rank in the top three of happiness. … So if that’s where they want to label me, I’m more than happy to take the label.”

Meanwhile, Trump and the Republicans are allowed to continue riding a myth of fiscal responsibility despite having spiked the national debt by nearly $8 billion under Trump — $23,500 in new debt for every single American — primarily to give tax breaks to the already wealthy.

The New York Times recently ran the headline “Harris and Trump Have Housing Ideas. Economists Have Doubts,” which put Kamala’s proposed tax cuts and grants to first-time home buyers on equal footing with Trump’s completely unrelated plan to deport millions of immigrants. This “fairness bias” or “false balance” keeps Americans oblivious to the fact that we no longer have two legitimate political parties but rather one such party competing with a conspiracy-driven cult of personality.

Naturally, news organizations want to keep ratings up by keeping the race as tight as possible. Yet, the result is that Republicans get a free pass to Crazy Town while Democrats are left to do all the work of governing and seeking middle ground with an opposition defined by obstructionism.

The fact that we have higher expectations of Democrats tells us something important about the GOP: that the rest of us have given up on them. We don’t expect them to have policy stances. We don’t expect them to tell the truth. We don’t expect them to be coherent, consistent, or decent. No matter how stupid, mendacious, or plain crazy the things they say, everyone just shrugs because we’ve all, including themselves, stopped taking them seriously.

The Democrats are left to play mommy to a belligerent, bratty Republican child. For example, when Republicans had complete control of the federal government in 2016, they continued incessantly whining and blaming the out-of-power Democrats, suggesting that Republicans don’t really want to be in charge and would rather play the pouting victim while their opponents do all the work.

This is also why everyone panicked when Biden started showing signs of infirmity yet continue treating Trump’s incoherent ramblings as business as usual. It’s one thing when a child throws a tantrum and Mom’s there to rein in the damage. It’s entirely another when it’s Mom who’s losing it. This is why Democrats are held to a higher standard — without them, Republicans would have to actually face the consequences of their chaos-for-attention approach to governing.

A longing for responsible leadership is a big part of what’s driving the ascent of the Harris-Walz campaign, including endorsements from hundreds of Republican officials and national security leaders. But even more so, this enthusiasm is driven by the optimism and hope their campaign exudes. Ever since Trump was elected, our national mood has been marked by futility, anger, division and despair. Harris and Walz represent not just a better future but an end to the constant negativity, hatred and resentment at the core essence of Trump’s message.

This election boils down to a choice between hope or fear. We can’t wait around for fairer news coverage or responsible Republican leadership, and we certainly don’t want to follow their lead. Instead, let’s embrace high expectations and rise to meet the moment. Hope and optimism will prevail, and a crushing electoral defeat may be just the thing to bring the Republican Party to its senses. This time around, a win for Democrats may be a win for everybody.

Urie is a lifelong Idahoan and graduate of the University of Idaho. He lives in Moscow with his wife and two children. You can find his writing online at Medium (hopeanyway.medium.com) or Substack (hopeanyway.substack.com). Or, you can email him at ryanthomasurie@gmail.com.