Katie Hill resigning from office

[Pericles]

Tough luck, Katie. If you had a (R) next to your name, you'd immediately be considered a martyr and a rallying cry for Trump and the Republicans, who would deem the whole thing a witch hunt and an attempt by Democrats to steal a House seat. Democrats should hold this seat (Likely D at worst), but as others have said, Republicans clearly aren't the ones held to a higher standard.

I think Hill should have served out her term, not because "but Trump!" or that kind of whataboutism (Democrats should hold themselves to a high standard) but I don't believe that resignation was warranted here and this rewards a revenge porn campaign.

[Pericles]

She should have dug her heels in and stayed. Nobody cared.

I was reading somewhere about a typical Trump supporter who said they would support him no matter what he did - this man was rather honest - and it all came down to "because he takes no sh**t." People want someone who will fight. Too many people in our society crumble and cave, issue public apologies to no one in particular that are not accepted by their detractors, fold to critics upholding a hypocritical sense of morality. He is popular because, in his supporters' minds, he has the right enemies, he defies the right people, he is attacked in the "right" ways, and he, unlike they, gets away with it. This, I am convinced, is a great deal - perhaps the greater part - of Trump's appeal.

But that's because Trump is the champion of bad people who relish their own evil. While that has turned out to be a disturbingly large part of the electorate it's probably not a majority.

Well yeah as we've seen trying to replicate Trump's approach to scandals doesn't work with Democratic voters. These voters, or at least a good part of them, seem to hold politicians to a higher standard than Republicans do to their politicians. While some complain that there is an unfair difference in standards, Democrats should set a positive example and demand high standards, even if this is never replicated by Republicans it still improves the quality of office holders-Donald Trump wouldn't be a better person and President if Al Franken were still in office.

[Pericles]

I think he'd still win against a republican in the runoff, California suburbanites are just that deranged.

I hope they are that partisan but I don't share your optimism for Democrats in that unlikely scenario. However I do think this race is Likely D, there is some potential for a weird result as it's a special election but this district is pretty tough for Republicans to win now.