Hobson’s choice: “National Journal’s” Charlie Cook sums up the rather cynical state of our two-party system as we approach November:

For all the talk about Democrats needing to “be for something,” a stronger case can be made that the Democrats should just stay out of the way and let events take their course. If Democrats prevail on November 7, their success won’t be due to any great idea they have or great message they are selling.

It will be because they are not Republicans and because people voted against Republicans. The Republicans’ only hope of retaining control on both sides of Capitol Hill is to get across the message that “no matter how angry or disappointed you are in us, Democrats are far worse and would screw things up even more.”

Pretty pathetic, isn’t it: Either one side wins because of what it isn’t, or the other side wins because it convinces voters that it is the lesser of two evils.