Thinking about McConnell and his appeal today. He is the ultimate cynic. And he appeals to the cynical voter. The one that things they are all the same. They are all crooks. What difference does it make?
[Mitch is pictured above on the campaign trail in 1978 eating lunch. Alone. Photo by Jay Mather.]
And The Cynic doesn't like McConnell. No one does. [There are a few, but they are mostly paid by McConnell.]
Yet The Cynic will vote for him again.
Even though as the Master Cynic, McConnell is playing The Cynic.
He's been on both sides (and more sides) of every issue. [Except two.]
He was against coal before he was for it.
Supported taxpayer funding for abortion until he didn't.
Supported increasing the minimum wage until he didn't.
Was a TEA Party Patriot until he wanted to crush them and know he's TEA Party again.
Considered banning assault rifles (after Wesbecker) until he didn't.
Introduced a national health care plan when he ran for Senate against a Doctor -- when the race was over, he hated national health care.
A tepid Reagan fan when Reagan in office (and not that popular) and not that Reagan is a near-GOP-deity, he loves him too.
McConnell has just two positions that don't change:
(1) He does what is in his own best interest, and
(2) He had an unyielding belief that more money is politics is better however it is introduced. Money is Speech. [Despite a few flirtations long ago with campaign finance, he has been VERY consistent about this going back to the beginning.
For The Cynic, McConnell is the ultimate cynic. He is everything you hate about politics. He has no real policy belief. He never has. When he ran for Senate the first time in 1984, he had no real position other than, "I want to win." Thirty years later that remains his primary position.
Yet The Cynic votes for him again and again. And wouldn't even consider doing anything else.
The Cynic is being played by McConnell. Quite brilliantly.
Isn't that a little funny and a lot interesting?
It's hard for me to imagine being The Cynic. I've never supported a candidate that I wasn't excited about. Didn't have to like everything they did or said. But I genuinely believed in them.
The Cynic admits he doesn't believe in McConnell. Admits he doesn't like him. And will vote against his self-interest to reelect him.
The Cynic cares deeply about the Death Tax which he will never pay.
The Cynic cares deeply about repeal of Obamacare which benefits him and it doesn't, it benefits people in Kentucky he knows.
The Cynic is a rube.
He does what he is told to do without knowing he has been told to do it.
I find this fascinating.