Why Meghan McCain Feels 'More Compassion' For Raquel Leviss Than Ariana Madix After Scandoval

In a new op-ed for DailyMail.com, published on Tuesday, the conservative commentator -- who described herself as a "hardened reality TV aficionado" -- weighed in on the wild scandal, which has taken over social media since it was revealed in March that Tom Sandoval and Raquel Leviss had been having a secret months-long affair, and the former had been cheating on his girlfriend of nearly 10 years, Ariana Madix.

While it goes without saying that most fans have declared themselves as #TeamAriana, McCain offered an unpopular opinion: she feels "more compassion" for Raquel than Ariana amid the fallout from the scandal.

"This was TV gold. It was the kind of real-life car crash that any connoisseur of unscripted slop relishes," McCain said. "But somewhere along the way -- something went terribly wrong. Tom and Raquel were smothered in hate -- real hate."

"As 'Scandoval' played out in the media for months, I found myself feeling more compassion for Raquel than Ariana," she continued.

"Yes, she and Tom had behaved terribly. But she took responsibility for what she did, and she was clearly suffering," McCain added.

"The View" alum went on to discuss the third and final part of the "Vanderpump Rules" reunion, which marked the first time Ariana -- as well as other cast members -- had confronted Raquel following the news of her affair with Sandoval. During the explosive episode, Raquel was absolutely obliterated by Ariana, Lala Kent, Katie Maloney and James Kennedy.

"The scene on the Bravo stage was nothing short of a bloodbath. If wine was served, it would have been thrown," McCain wrote in her op-ed, before recalling some of the angry remarks Ariana hurled at Raquel.

The TV personality noted that although "Raquel apologized profusely," it "wasn't enough" to stop the "vitriol" being thrown at Raquel by her cast mates.

"There was blood in the water and frenzy couldn't be stopped," McCain said.

"Reality television is meant to be escapism, not sadism. Yet that's what this became," she added, continuing to express that she took issue with how Raquel was treated. "Raquel was shaking and crying. And it all may have taken a terrifying toll.

The mom of two ended her piece by sending a message to Bravo, the network on which "Vanderpump Rules" airs.

"Bravo shouldn't forget about Raquel -- they should be thanking her," she wrote. "'Scandoval' brought the show and the network a degree of cultural significance that they have never achieved before."

"And from here now on out, they should proceed with a level of sensitivity that this debacle deserves," she added, before concluding, "I, for one, want to watch how her story plays out."