OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
The Federalist senior editor Mollie Hemingway has taken Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to task.
In a column published Friday, Hemingway cited the Kentucky Republican for appearing to downplay the chances of Republican Senate candidates, some of whom are backed by former President Donald Trump, while others suggested that McConnell’s feud with the former president is affecting his judgment.
In her column, titled, “Come On, Mitch McConnell, Republicans Need You To Step Up And Lead,” Hemingway writes that as the party’s leader in the upper chamber, he “has an obligation to immediately and dramatically improve his performance” — namely, get out front now and work to get all Senate GOP candidates elected, especially during a midterm where President Joe Biden and his Democratic Party have presided over record inflation, high gas prices, and a chaotic and porous southwestern border, among other issues — all of which have combined to sink Biden’s approval rating to historic lows.
Hemingway noted that McConnell criticized the “quality” of some Senate candidates in states where Trump has offered his endorsement.
“I think there’s probably a greater likelihood the House flips than the Senate. Senate races are just different, they’re statewide, candidate quality has a lot to do with the outcome,” McConnell said on Thursday when asked about Republican chances of taking back control of the upper chamber.
“Right now, we have a 50-50 Senate and a 50-50 country, but I think when all is said and done this fall, we’re likely to have an extremely close Senate, either our side up slightly or their side up slightly,” he added at an event in his home state, per The Hill.
That led Hemingway to ask in her column: “What was McConnell thinking? What in the world was he thinking?”
She adds:
Unnecessarily ceding an incredibly winnable Senate to Democrats three months before an election is a great example of the leadership choices that have led McConnell to be the least popular national politician in the country, according to the RealClearPolitics average. And it’s a good example of why so many Republicans — grateful as they may be for his successes — think it’s time for new leadership.
Still, for the time being, McConnell is the top elected Republican, and he has an obligation to effectively lead the Republican team, respecting the voters and who they have chosen.
In this case, having a nearly opposite response about Republican prospects rather than the pouty and clinical one McConnell offered would have been strategically and politically wise. It also would have matched much more with the reality of the political environment.
Hemingway then went on to list several examples as to why Republicans look to be in good shape to retake the Senate despite McConnell’s less-than-enthusiastic remarks.
“Of the 14 Senate seats that are in contention, two are considered safe for Democrats, one leans Democrat, two are considered safe for Republicans, one leans Republican, and the remaining eight are toss-ups, according to polling averages,” she wrote.
Hemingway then noted that 18 months into total Democrat control of the legislative and executive branches, “by nearly every measure the results of their political control are utterly disastrous.”
“Consumer confidence has cratered. War with nuclear powers is dangerously close in at least two parts of the world. The economy should be roaring out of the pandemic, but it’s returned to Obama-era sluggishness or worse. Woke mobs are completing their destruction of the country’s institutions. Democrats are persecuting political opponents with their deeply unpopular J6 star chamber,” she wrote.
In a series of tweets related to her column, Hemingway noted that one “political bigwig” whom she did not name had this to say about McConnell’s remarks: “He’s a child having a temper tantrum. It is completely insane for him to criticize our candidates. He can’t step up and lead, clearly, but we need him to shut up.”
I'm laughing that yesterday all the DC political media types were dunking on me for criticizing his indefensibly stupid statement but something close to 100% of the response to this piece I've gotten from randos and senators alike is "you are way too nice and kind to him." LOL.
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) August 19, 2022
Later, she tweeted, “I’m laughing that yesterday all the DC political media types were dunking on me for criticizing his indefensibly stupid statement but something close to 100% of the response to this piece I’ve gotten from randos and senators alike is ‘you are way too nice and kind to him.’ LOL.”
