McConnell: ‘I didn’t think President Trump had a chance of winning’ (interesting admissions)

McClatchy ^ | 20 Dec 16 | DAVID LIGHTMAN

[Dave W]

I understand your points and I think they are very good ones. Perhaps I was a bit harsh about those three, but it does get a bit tiresome seeing McConnell and Ryan getting blamed for everything including my flat tire.

I agree McConnell could have done more to support them. His behavior does earn ridicule. However, the loss is really the candidates fault. Akin could have walked to victory except for one gaffe. A gaffe is in the eye of the beholder. A democrat never really makes a gaffe because the media covers it up or it is a one day news item and they move on. A republican can make a gaffe even when it is not a gaffe.

So those three did campaign under a different media standard. However, we all know that. If you are not Trump, a gaffe will kill you, especially anything about abortion. At that level of politics, a republican candidate should be able to answer basic questions about abortion without making front page news. Practice answering those questions.

To ask if the democrat opponents were Senate material is a fair question, but I was specifically referring to only the pubs. Their losses hurt since there are 52 votes in the Senate. McCain is going to do what he did to W Bush. He is going to leverage his vote to the max with Trump and Trump will have to listen to him. As McCain votes, so does Graham and then you have a 50/50 tie. I am getting ahead of myself, but 55 votes look better than 52 votes.

[Political Junkie Too]

Good answer. You gave as good as you got. ;-)

...it does get a bit tiresome seeing McConnell and Ryan getting blamed for everything... To ask if the democrat opponents were Senate material is a fair question, but I was specifically referring to only the pubs. Their losses hurt since there are 52 votes in the Senate.

What I find tiresome is the lack of urgency that our leaders demonstrated. Yes, those losses hurt, but I don't think that McConnell thought they hurt. I think McConnell felt perfectly fine the way things were, and that's what bothers me. I think McConnell prefers it this way.

The more that I think about it, McConnell was most happy as the minority leader because he prefers to make deals from a position of weakness; he holds the One Thing the other side wants and then negotiates it away for some non-strategic trinket. As the majority leader, the first thing he did was to take the government shutdown off the table, his ace card - again putting himself in the weaker position despite Republicans holding the House and the Senate. Now there is talk of reinstating the filibuster for appointments, too.

I'll give McConnell credit for holding strong on the open Supreme Court seat; that was a yuge motivator for the base to get out and vote for Trump. As an aside, I'm not sure if nominating Elaine Chau was payback for that, or a leash on McConnell for the future (or both). Either way, it was a break of form for him, and a welcome one.

The question now is whether McConnell fights Trump or joins Trump. I've said in the past that we're past the time for grooming the next generation of Republican leader. We don't need politicians who die in office, like Robert Byrd and Arlen Specter, leaving a void. I posted several time already that we need our elder leaders to transition into kingmakers, mentoring their replacements instead of blocking their rise.

-PJ