My home state of Ohio has earned a not-so-nice distinction in the 2026 election: It is the site of "the ugliest" contest in the country.
asserted
It → earn → country
Nasty attack ads have been an ongoing feature of the governor's race between Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and Democrat Amy Acton—piercing many a peaceful Hulu-watching session on my end with allegations that Acton is a pill-popping drunk and Ramaswamy a con man.
asserted
Ramaswamy → pierce → allegations
But the nastiness reached a whole new level in recent weeks, with the release of a Ramaswamy campaign ad implying that Acton lied about childhood sexual abuse by her stepfather.
asserted
Acton → reach → stepfather
Understandably, many Republicans bristled at being viewed as the party that defends accused child rapists.
asserted
that → bristle → rapists
His only regret here is that he didn't get to run an ad like this, he said.
asserted
he → get → this
You are reading Sex & Tech, from Elizabeth Nolan Brown.
asserted
You → read → Brown
The ad features Acton's mother, Donna Arthur, from whom Acton has been estranged for decades for what seem like very good reasons.
asserted
what → feature → reasons
When Acton was 12, her mom took her stepfather's side when she accused him of sexually abusing her for years.
asserted
she → take → years
In 1978, Acton's stepfather, Cledith Arthur, was arrested and charged with child rape.
asserted
stepfather → arrest → rape
Records from the case, obtained by Signal Statewide, "also contains a reference to a previous incest charge against Cledith Arthur from 1974…although it's not clear how that case was resolved."
asserted
case → obtain → 1974
Acton's mom lost custody of both Amy and her brother.
asserted
mom → lose → Amy
But the stepfather was never tried, since he and Acton's mom fled the state.
asserted
he → try → state
He remained a fugitive—and married to Amy's mother—until he died in 2004.
asserted
he → remain → 2004
In the new Ramaswamy campaign ad, Acton calls her daughter a liar.
asserted
Acton → call → daughter
"It's not easy for a mother to say this, but Amy has a serious problem.
asserted
Amy → say → problem
She is a liar," says Arthur in the video.
asserted
Arthur → say → video
"She lies about her past.…
asserted
She → lie → past.
She's lied her entire life.
asserted
She → lie → ?
My daughter needs help."
asserted
daughter → need → help
Arthur doesn't outright say "she lied about being molested by her stepfather," but given the historical context here, the implication is pretty clear.
asserted
implication → say → context
In effect, the Ramaswamy campaign has helped Acton's mom accuse her daughter on a national scale of making it all up.
asserted
mom → help → it
And—providing us with some hope for humanity—it also backfired.
asserted
it → provide → humanity
People roundly condemned the ad and the Ramaswamy campaign for running it.
asserted
People → condemn → it
Acton's brother, Philip Stearns, corroborated her story.
asserted
brother → corroborate → story
Even many Republicans have objected to the ad.
asserted
Republicans → object → ad
There are still some lines you don't cross, public figures left and right seemed to agree.
asserted
figures → be → ?
Telling Republicans to "stop whining" about the ad, Vance said he was getting "a little bit disgusted when I see Republicans across the country who are whining more about that advertisement than they are about what the congressional Democrats and other Democrats want to do to the United States of America."
asserted
Democrats → tell → America
"Vivek Ramaswamy had the audacity to run a TV commercial which calls it out like it is and calls Amy Acton a liar," Vance continued.
asserted
Vance → have → Acton
Trump went further, calling the ad "very powerful" and urging the Ramaswamy campaign to keep it up.
asserted
Trump → go → it
Trump also criticized the current Ohio governor, Republican Mike DeWine, for calling the ad "deeply troubling."
asserted
Trump → criticize → ad
DeWine is a moderate Republican who, for the most part, adheres to pre-Trump standards of decency.
asserted
who → adhere → decency
Their differing reactions here seem a perfect microcosm of pre-MAGA and post-MAGA standards for conduct and bounds of acceptability.
asserted
reactions → differ → acceptability
DeWine "probably wants a Dumocrat to win," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post last Thursday.
asserted
Trump → want → post
"I suggested, on the other hand, that Vivek should keep it up, and let everyone listen to the mother of a defective, dishonest, and incapable Candidate, explain how the daughter is a DISASTER who, uncontrollably, lies, cheats, and steals!"
uncertain
who → suggest → Candidate
Talking to reporters that same day, Trump just kept repeating that if an ad had been made with his mom calling him a liar, the press would love it.
asserted
press → talk → it
He stuck to that talking point again and again, acting clueless about the childhood sexual abuse allegations at the center of this whole controversy.
asserted
He → stick → controversy
The idea that the president would passionately post about and answer questions about this without knowing the whole story is almost beyond belief.
asserted
president → post → belief
But even if Trump somehow didn't know the full context when he first started talking about it, he was made aware and then kept right on praising the ad.
Trump
asserted
he → know → ad
: The mother is calling the daughter a terrible person and a liar.
asserted
mother → call → daughter
Why would you shield somebody from that?
asserted
you → shield → that
…and 61 more, not listed.
The Aporia
