Ditch Mitch?

A handful of GOP senators want to delay Wednesday’s party leadership vote, but they have yet to offer an alternative to Mitch McConnell.

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images.)

A vocal minority of Republican senators continued their push Monday to stall the election of party leadership in the wake of the GOP’s underwhelming performance in midterm elections. The debate could fracture the party into two camps: those who blame current GOP leadership for last week’s midterm results and those who blame former President Donald Trump.

The senators pushing for delay—in a process that typically amounts to little drama—have given a variety of reasons for their position. Some say they want Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker to have a say in the process should he defeat incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock in Georgia’s December 6 runoff. Others are taking aim at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and other party leaders for the Senate Leadership Fund’s (SLF) midterm spending decisions and declining to release a concrete policy agenda for candidates to run on in the midterms, among other concerns. 

As of Monday evening, at least 10 Republican senators were calling for a delay.

“What do we stand for? What are we hell-bent to get done?” Florida Sen. Rick Scott, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), asked on Fox News over the weekend. “The leadership in the Republican Senate says, ‘No, you cannot have a plan. We’re just going to run against how bad the Democrats are.’ And, actually, then they cave into the Democrats.”

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  1. Avatar photo
    BrettH

    So, although it’s likely nothing more than a cynical talking point by some GOP senators, I’ve been miffed for years that Republicans don’t offer much in the way of policy solutions for very real problems. They’ve (mostly) taken the strategy of bashing Democrats for their misguided policy solutions (e.g. addressing, let alone acknowledging, the obvious impacts of pumping ~10-14 gigatons of carbon into the atmosphere every year—depending (mostly) on global economic activity). I wouldn’t doubt that this is a Cocaine Mitch strategy for electoral success. I’m just unconvinced that said senators are acting in good faith.

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    I Am the Eggman

    I dislike Mitch McConnell, but I have to admit that he's been effective as majority leader. The idea of replacing him with an incompetent buffoon like Rick Scott is laughable, but the Republican party does a lot of stupid things these days, so maybe they'll go for it.

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  3. Jfan

    This reminds me of the joke or apocryphal story about the pet food company which introduced a new brand of dog food. After deploying their usual marketing strategy of ads and product placement, sales were unexpectedly low. The company hired a market research firm to investigate why their marketing failed. The firm surveyed consumers and reported back "The dogs don't like it."

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  4. Avatar photo
    Vlad M.

    The anti-McConnell clowns are pretending not to know that Big Don is to blame for those "victories" in AZ, PA, Georgia etc. Cruz and Rubio especially are making fools of themselves, again.

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  5. Yoshi

    I mean I'd be okay if we replaced McConnell with Romney, but I doubt most of these senators want that.

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  6. Bob.Simrak

    Simply amazing. Maybe people are not enamored with what the Republican Party has become. Perhaps they should buy a mirror or two to discover the source of the problem.

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  7. David Schmidt

    Finding the right leader in a post-Trumpian Republican party is quite the challenge. A lot will depend on what happens to the upcoming Trump candidacy. But a new leader will have to be selected before that dumpster fire burns itself out. In the meantime, everyone has his/her finger in the air to check where the wind is blowing.

    My guess is McConnell weathers the storm and gets reelected. If not, Thune or Cornyn are the most likely normie Republican alternatives. If they elect Scott, then it tells me that they expect Trump to win the nomination..... and then get ready for a rump political party.

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  8. Payette

    Isn't this why Jonah keeps telling us we can't have nice things? Because the narcissist-in-chief and his minions prefer tantrums and blame in lieu of assessing their own actions and facing the consequences of those actions?

    I left the GOP yesterday. I no longer hope the GOP under MAGA will ever learn responsibility, temperance, and courage. I'm for keeping McConnell, who seems to be the only adult in the room.

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  9. Avatar photo
    David Eggleston

    Note to Rick Scott, you ARE part of Republican leadership.

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    1. David Schmidt

      Not for much longer.....he's the biggest loser in the GOP caucus.

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        David Eggleston

        I get the feeling John Cornyn will be taking Lil’ Ricky, Cruz, and Hawley out behind the Capitol for a good hiding for Mitch.

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  10. Ronald Rutherford

    McConnell is not responsible for the underperformance of the Republican senatorial candidates. It is my understanding that Senator Rick Scott of Florida, as chair of the Republican Senitorial Campaign Committee, must take some responsibility for our underperformance. However, there is enough blame to be shared by all. A positive governing plan for a Republican Senate majority would probably have resulted in a Republican majority. You cannot run against a bogeyman. The voters must be given a positive program if you expect them to vote as you wish.

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