Sexual assault. Inappropriate relationships. Blackface. These are all things that Republican politicians have been accused of in the past couple of years…but Democrats have faced a lot of the same accusations, and yet, where is the mainstream news media focused?

You’ve probably seen countless headlines that center around controversial incidents; most involving members of the Republican party. Rare are the articles that focus on Democratic participation in some sort of lewd or offensive act, but believe me, they exist. In general, the amount of coverage spent on communicating to the public the controversial acts committed by a Republican supersedes the amount spent on Democratic offenders. Subsequent consequences that have often followed suit substantially differ among the two parties. 

One prime example: John Morrisey, the former Virginian democrat who recently won a seat on the state’s senate despite being found guilty of having a sexual relationship with his then 17-year old receptionist in 2014 and serving jail time for the crime. The fact that he was able to continue in the field of politics despite his past criminal record is remarkable. While the Democratic party forced the disgraced politician to resign his seat, it didn’t gain much media attention. Meanwhile, Republican politicians like former Arizona Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) and former Pennsylvania Rep. Patrick Meehan were both pressured to resign after sexual harassment scandals, aided by a frenzy of Democratic outrage.

Minnesota is no exception. As recently as 2018, political figures in the state of 10,000 lakes have had their own share of political wrongdoing. Former attorney general Lori Swanson was accused of forcing staff members to do political work for her. While figures like Swanson have committed questionable acts, not much has been heard about it on behalf of mainstream media or journalistic outlets.

In an age where the rise of fake news is enormous, it is imperative that journalists maintain a neutral outlook. This principle should also be applied to the practices and sermons that are observed by the Democratic party and its members.  

Following the election of President Trump—a republican who has managed to stay in office regardless of his documented insensitive comments about and actions against women and immigrants—the political climate has been one of the most divided in the history of U.S. politics. Because of this, in order for the Democratic party to maintain their loyal following, which is built upon the protection of civil rights and condemnation of racist or discriminatory acts, they need to better practice what they preach. Only when all democrats renounce their support for their own members that have participated in immoral and ignorant acts will the image of their party be strengthened. Additionally, the public trust in the party could be restored and the Democrats altogether could be inspired to continue to fight for what they believe, without the proverbial rotten apples in their basket.