Thomas Sowell‘s latest column at Human Events compares the front-runners for the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations.

We must frankly face the fact that the front runners in both political parties represent a new low, at a time of domestic polarization and unprecedented nuclear dangers internationally. This year’s general election will offer a choice between a thoroughly corrupt liar and an utterly irresponsible egomaniac.

The Republican establishment, whose serial betrayals of their supporters created the setting for a Donald Trump to arise, must now decide how best to deal with the apparent inevitability of his candidacy.

Choosing among various unpalatable options may require some tricky maneuvering on their part, but they have been used to tricky maneuvering before, which is how they find themselves in this predicament in the first place.

Apparently some Republican leaders have opted to try to make the best of a bad situation by creating at least the illusion of party “unity” going into this year’s elections. But the toxic image of Donald Trump can follow the Republicans repeatedly in future elections.

The careers of young Republicans are especially at risk of acquiring an indelible stain by being associated with Trump, much as Marco Rubio may never live down his association with Senator Chuck Schumer’s attempt to create bipartisan amnesty.

The smart money says that, when all is said and done, Republican voters are going to have to vote for Trump. If they stay home, that is the same as voting for Hillary Clinton. …

… If a man in his sixties has not yet matured, he is unlikely to grow up in his seventies. This is not a question about whether Donald Trump is as evil as Hillary Clinton. He may well be the proverbial “lesser of the two evils” in that sense, and yet be the more dangerous President to have in the White House.