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With all the serious problems facing this country, nothing drives me crazier than to hear somebody spout that old saw: “It doesn’t matter how you vote. In fact, it doesn’t make any difference if you vote at all. Because it doesn’t matter who wins. The Republican Party and the Democratic Party are the same. There’s no difference between them.”

What a crock of you know what. That’s simply not true, and never has been. You name the issue: climate change, health care, Social Security, Medicare, minimum wage, voting rights, LGBTQ rights, labor unions, campaign finance reform, renewable energy, tax reform, immigration, gun control, and many others. It’s like night and day. There’s a world of difference between where Republicans and Democrats stand.

But one issue, above all, marks the wide gap between the two parties – and that’s the issue of sexual abuse. For Democrats, it’s a game-changer; for Republicans, it’s a yawn. Democrats pay attention; Republicans brush it off. Democrats start by believing a woman’s claim of sexual abuse; Republicans start by dismissing her, degrading her, threatening to sue her – and then letting the man accused of abuse walk free.

If we didn’t learn that lesson before, we certainly learned it in the last few weeks.

In this year’s crowded California Democratic primary for governor, Congressman Eric Swalwell had emerged as the leading candidate – until four women came forward to charge him with sexual assault. Immediately, before any charges had been verified, most of California’s leading Democrats, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, called on Swalwell to drop out of the race. Which he did.

Now take the case in Maine. Oysterman Graham Platner won the Democratic primary for Senate with 72 percent of the vote – and was well on his way to give Republican Susan Collins the fight of her life – when three women charged him with sexual assault while they were dating, one of whom later also accused him of rape. Without hesitation, every leading Democrat who had endorsed and campaigned for Platner, led by Senator Bernie Sanders and Congressman Ro Khanna, called on Platner to end his campaign so the Maine Democratic Party could nominate another candidate.

Three days later, Platner withdrew from the race. The only question now is who will replace him on the ballot.

Note the difference with how Democrats responded and how the other party handled charges of sexual misconduct against two leading Republican politicians.

In the Republican primary for Senate in Texas, Ken Paxton was, to say the least, a flawed candidate. He’d been impeached by his fellow Republicans, indicted for securities fraud, and divorced by his wife of 39 years for adultery and a string of extramarital affairs, or on what she called “biblical grounds.” It was a serial adulterer up against the squeaky-clean incumbent John Cornyn. Yet Donald Trump endorsed Paxton and Texas Republicans dutifully embraced him as their candidate for the U.S. Senate. This week, Paxton was spotted vacationing in Europe with his latest mistress.

How about that other unnamed Republican who was accused of sexual assault by more than 24 women, found liable by a jury for sexually assaulting E. Jean Carroll and forced to pay her $5 million, found guilty by another jury on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in order to cover up “hush money” paid to cover up his one-night fling with porn star Stormy Daniels, and indicted for stealing government documents, election interference in Georgia, and attempting to overthrow the results of the 2024 election? Character matters? Really? Republicans nominated him for president – three times!

On the issue of sexual abuse alone, there’s a vast difference between the two parties. One takes it seriously, the other does not. One condemns it, the other celebrates it.

Granted, the Democratic Party can sometimes get it wrong. Like forcing Al Franken out of the Senate for nothing more than a goofy photo. In some cases, in fact, the charges can prove to be false or malicious. But I’d rather belong to a party that acts when faced with accusations of sexual abuse and is later proven wrong, than a party that dismisses them from the get go.

On this issue alone, the differences between the two parties are so clear and the respect for women is so lacking among today’s MAGA Republicans, it’s hard to understand how any woman, especially any woman who calls herself a Christian, could vote for Donald Trump.

(Bill Press is host of The BillPressPod, and author of 10 books, including: “From the Left: My Life in the Crossfire.” His email address is: bill@billpress.com. Readers may also follow him on Twitter @billpresspod and on BlueSky @BillPress.bsky.social.)

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