As long as we understand that this election isn't anything new. Any good old days anyone wants to mention are just selective memory.
No, it's significantly worse than usual.
McCain was probably the worst RINO candidate from recent years; probably about just as bad as Trump on policy, except he didn't completely trash the image of the party and arguably intentionally throw the election.
Trump has single-handedly brought about the demise of the Republican party as a force in presidential politics. We
had 2016. We could have nominated
Jeb Bush and he would have won.
Trump took that chance away from us and by extension
all foreseeable chances in the future. This was our last good shot to keep the clock ticking for a bit longer on a not-100%-*expletive deleted*ed SCOTUS. We will never have a Republican president again. The justices that come into place over the next several decades of Democrat presidents are going to wipe out the Constitutional protections we had left.
I think it's uniquely bad this time.