Mitch McConnell's most defining personality characteristic (and this is coming from both sides of the aisle; the sort of stuff that qualifies as
a flattering portrait of the man is thin gruel indeed) is that he is, well, a jerk. Nowhere is this more demonstrated than the reflexive juvenility with which his campaign throws itself against any challengers, real or perceived, but he also seems to just enjoy wandering the Senate halls being
an asshole to people.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) took a jab at the relationship between Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) in an interview with National Review published Monday. […]
"You know, I was kidding [New York Democrat Chuck Schumer] and McCain the other day, and asked, ‘When are you all getting married? It’s getting almost embarrassing," McConnell told the National Review.
Though McConnell was clearly joking with the remark, the sentiment is indicative of a dismissive attitude towards bipartisanship.
Ah ha ha ha—that's so adorable and witty. Take
that, you fellow leaders of the nation, you. Stupid dummies.
I don't think it's especially puzzling why McConnell has risen to GOP leadership; anyone who has had to suffer through any one of the several hundred pissy CSPAN-televised bickerfests he launches towards Reid can vouch that pissy bickering is McConnell's core competency, and it also happens to be the sole necessary qualification for leadership in the modern party. McConnell's primary challenge is going to be one to watch, though. His team's approach to the campaign trail is to fire wildly into the air and hope that one of his shots hits something; that approach does mean, however, that he's possibly just as prone to incidents of foot-swallowing as dimmer party lights like Todd Akin and the professionally ridiculous Steve King.
Just saying, keep an eye on this guy. The pressure seems to be getting to him.