Jonathan Bernstein: “Republicans are happy to put anyone in office as long as they’ll be a reliable vote. Democrats are looking more for substance from politicians. That didn’t used to be the case — as recently as the 1980s, neither party had a reputation for politicians who were more prepared or took the job more seriously. Then Republicans nominated George W. Bush for the presidency with far too limited experience. And then they nominated Trump.”

“Of course, there are Republicans in Congress — and in statehouses and other positions — who take governing seriously, and Democrats who don’t. But the parties are no longer equal in that respect.”

“One of the sad things about all of this is that partisan polarization among voters has actually made candidates less important. Theoretically, at least, that should give parties more freedom to nominate candidates based on experience and an expressed interest in public affairs. Parties still care about any small potential advantages they can get, and in a close campaign even very small factors matter. So that may sometimes argue for a know-nothing celebrity candidate. But the truth is, Republicans could really use some legislative talent in Congress — especially if they win control of it in November.”