As far as the GOP is concerned, with members like Mitch McConnell, who needs Democrats?
During an event in Kentucky on Monday, McConnell talked about the upcoming midterms and gave his own party a 50/50 chance of reclaiming the Senate. McConnell stated, “If both the House and the Senate flip, I think the president will be a moderate. He won’t have any choice. And so, we’ll try to find ways to make some progress for the country during the last two years of his term…but not big dramatic change.”
No big, dramatic changes, huh? I guess not, if the status quo is working for you, Mitch. More inflation? More high gas prices? More civil unrest? More international embarrassment for the United States? More moving goal posts on public health matters? What exactly do you plan to change?
The statement comes on the heels of Trump’s comments about McConnell’s previous grim forecast for the midterms. “Why do Republicans Senators allow a broken down hack politician, Mitch McConnell, to openly disparage hard working Republican candidates for the United States Senate?” Trump wondered on Truth Social. “This is such an affront to honor and to leadership. He should spend more time (and money!) helping them get elected, and less time helping his crazy wife and family get rich on China!” (sic).
I think it is fairly obvious that conservative hopes for a right-wing tsunami were a bit premature. There are just too many variables to feel confident in a sweep. But when the leading Senate Republican takes the “aw shucks, ain’t nothin'” approach to his party, you don’t question the prediction as much as the predictor. McConnell wants his party to settle for a participation ribbon.
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Some pundits are trying to figure out if McConnell is playing some form of 4D chess by trying to keep Democrat voters from panicking and marching to the polls. I would be surprised if he was thinking that strategically. Or even thinking about that at all.
And even McConnell cannot really believe that the House and Senate are still playing by the old 1970s and 80s rules. He knows there is no value in being a good sport at this point. It would not surprise me if he was still distancing himself from Trump and the people who voted out Liz Cheney. McConnell is focused on what is best for McConnell. After all, you aren’t going to get book deals, speaking engagements, or seats on boards by backing Republicans, even if you are a Republican.
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