The Republicans very emphatically DO NOT want a special election in which spoiler candidates could run, that is why they are spending all this effort pretending he is fine.
…until they run out the clock in August.
But on the other hand, even in a special election, a Republican would probably win. And the winner of a special election would only hold office until January, because the seat’s up for a regular election this year (unless the special election winner also won the regular election). And the longer they delay his replacement, the longer his seat is (effectively) empty. It’s a complicated calculation.
One less voting GOP senator will be handy in the lame duck session if the Democrats take the Senate. That’s the window for people like Scalia and Thomas to resign and allow younger Trump-friendly justices to take their place. Any vacancy after that will be left unfilled by the Senate until a Democrat is in the White House…guess who taught them that trick.
According to WLKY, McConnell’s wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, was in China when McConnell was first hospitalized. She released the following statement on Wednesday:
“The secretary was on a long-planned trip in China to support her family’s philanthropic endeavors. During the trip, she met with a number of people, including the US ambassador. The Senator’s health did not warrant an immediate return to the US.”
What an odd statement to release. It says nothing about Mitch’s condition, if she is concerned about his health/wellbeing, or when she plans on returning to the US. One would think that with their money and connections that Elaine could be back Stateside within 24 hours of hearing about his medical emergency.
I guess, if he is truly dead/braindead, there is no immediate rush to get home. Not like she could talk to him.
Oh a Republican is 99% going to win, they just don’t want someone with a chip on their shoulder like Thomas Massie.
OK, I think I need more background on Massie. Why don’t Republicans want him?
He dared to question their Glorious Leader’s integrity.
Like MTG he wanted the Epstein files released, so Trump had him primaried, he’s been on a bit of a warpath since then. He is extremely conservative and has supported Trump faithfully for the most part, but being against pedophiles gets you kicked out of the party. Massie would be worst case scenario for Trump, I think he’d rather have a Democrat.
Ooh, Trump actually endorsing a Democrat could be fun to see!
To be fair, I think the bigger worry is Massie running as an independent and the Democrat winning due to the split vote. A democrat would definitely lose in November though.
But Massey could run as an independent in the regular election and act as a spoiler, too, no matter what’s done or not done with a special election.
Running successfully as an independent in the regular election is way more likely if he’s already won the special.
FWIW, if it isn’t sooner, there will still be a special election in November (on the same ballot as the general) to determine who serves until the end of McConnell’s term. The candidates running in the general will likely file to be on the ballot in the special, as well.
When a similar situation occurred in California it confused the Hell out of voters.
Unless McConnell is still (officially) alive at that point, of course. Or more precisely, still alive as of the date that the ballots are printed.
Maybe not if Massie runs in the General.
Right.
Note that there is nothing to say McConnell is not still alive. Maybe with all sorts of tubes and wires, sure.
The Emperor of Mankind dreams of merely being supported by tubes and wires!
In terms of reasons to keep him Incommunicado, without him being fully brain dead (or all dead), if he’s suffered a stroke or other major health issue that removes his filters on his speech, a psychotic inability to separate reality from imagination, etc. … well, I could see a lot of reasons the PTB wouldn’t want him making public statements of ANY sort.
Most of suspect he knows enough about less-than-legal actions that he could blurt out, and even if he Didn’t, if he starts spouting some sort of paranoid delusion that hurts his fellow Republicans it would be extremely plausible.
Again, entirely speculation, but just wanted to repeat he could be dangerous politically and being isolated without the extreme of being brain dead as well.
Probably just the optics. He looked like he was at death’s door when he was still mobile. Imagine what he looks like now. Trump being the ungrateful and unforgiving ass he is would immediate make fun of his appearance and demand his resignation.
Some speculate that Beshear may want to test the constitutionality of the Kentucky legislature’s attempt to remove from a Governor the right to appoint a replacement for McConnell. So the letter would be the prelude to his simply making that appointment—then it would go to the courts.
https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-17/