The Stupid Party?

By Dr. Harold A. Black

blackh@knoxfocus.com

haroldblackphd.com

George Will once referred to the Republicans as being the "dumb" party – although some have called it the "stupid" party. Either may be apropos when it seems like its leadership is trying to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Mitch McConnell is no friend of Donald Trump and Trump is no friend of Mitch McConnell – although Trump should be forever thankful that McConnell blocked Merrick Garland from sitting on the Supreme Court. McConnell said that the Republicans chances of taking back the House are greater than taking back the Senate. It is an obvious indictment of the Trump-endorsed MAGA candidates who won their primaries in Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Ohio. McConnell's Leadership Fund has responded by cutting off campaign funding to Blake Masters in Arizona although the incumbent Democrat Mark Kelly is vulnerable. The question is why isn't Trump with his considerable resources and his PAC stepping into the void and helping out Masters? Mind you, Kelly voted against hiring additional border patrol personnel while his state is being flooded with illegals. That alone makes him vulnerable. Yet while the Democrats are spending over $60 million to get him re-elected, Masters is struggling for funds. It will be interesting to see how much of an impact dollars will have on this race where the incumbent seems to be more aligned with the national party than with the interests of his local constituents.

On the other hand, the Democrats don't seem to have any problem with supporting fringe candidates in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Fetterman in Pennsylvania seems to have no positives. Aside from always wearing a hoodie and sporting a variety of tattoos he appears to have never had a job, instead relying on the largesse of his rich parents. He actually pulled a gun on a black jogger – sounds like what happened in Georgia. He favors letting one third of Pennsylvania's inmates loose and low bail. You would think that in today's climate, Fetterman would be toxic. Instead the Democrats have stood behind him unflinchingly. Lastly, he suffered a severe stroke and has trouble speaking. To hide that fact, he has refused to debate and has limited campaign appearances where his speech is obviously impaired. He is perhaps taking Biden's cue from campaigning from his basement. Biden won so why can't Fetterman? I am clueless as to why anyone would vote for him unless voters have an intense dislike for the Republican, Dr Oz. By the way, the three contenders in the Pennsylvania Republican primary all sought Trump's blessing. If it had gone to David McCormick instead, the Republicans would easily beat Fetterman. Instead, the polls show him leading Dr. Oz.

In Wisconsin, the Democrat is Mandala Barnes, who like Fetterman is the state's lieutenant governor. Barnes is a climate change zealot and anticapitalist. He asserts that the free enterprise system is leading the world down a path to destruction. Someone needs to point out to him that the world's greatest polluters are China and Russia. Unlike Fetterman who wants to reduce Pennsylvania's prison population by a third, Barnes wants to cut it in half. He has called for defunding the police. He wants to abolish Immigration and Customs enforcement, favors government funded health care, college tuition for illegals, eliminating the Senate filibuster and packing the Supreme Court. Somehow, the polls show him leading the incumbent Republican, Ron Johnson.

I wish McConnell would put aside his personal enmity for Trump and wholeheartedly support the Republican senate candidates. He may not like Masters or OZ. He may not like Herschel Walker in Georgia. But Georgia's Warnock and Arizona's Kelly have been a rubber stamp for Biden's policies and Fetterman and Barnes are just plain frightening. If McConnell and the Republicans continue down this path, they are indeed the "stupid party."

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