The Democrats’ Cynical Game in Republican Primaries

Republican primaries, which were once a sparring ground for ideas, have too often of late become battles over attitude and tests of personal loyalty to Donald Trump. Some candidates seek to prove their bona fides by embracing false claims about the 2020 election being stolen, precisely because they know that responsible opponents will be unwilling to do so. Too many campaigns revolve around the idea that candidates should be not just unyielding or combative but transgressive. When voters reward this behavior, it is imitated further.

Just as cynically, Democrats — while...