Some discussion about the deadline passing today for McCain to withdraw to allow for a special election. I have seen some criticism of McCain for this. Let’s outline what he is doing:
1) Very few Senators agree to leave when ill. See Ted Kennedy, a host of others. The trappings of the office are too great the power accumulated too much to allow them to fall into the wrong hands. This is not a GOP Loyalist move by McCain, this is about his legacy.
2) How can McCain screw Trump? I mean guarantee it? Allowing a special election in November, even with a potential blue wave, probably doesn’t guarantee it. A Republican could easily win this seat in November with a special election.
3) McCain’s best bet is making a deal (something McCain is genuinely skilled at as a Senator): GOP, I won’t force you to have a special election and spend millions/risk a Democrat taking that seat, if you appoint my wife Cindy to serve until 2020. Given the amount of respect McCain has in his home state, that’s a legitimate request on his part.
4) So how does this screw Trump? Who is angriest about the way Trump has treated McCain? McCain himself was tortured for 5 years… I doubt Trump really bothers him all that much other than as an existential threat to our country. The person angriest about the treatment of McCain is his wife, Cindy.
She may be a Republican, but that sounds like someone who would not be friendly to Trump or his administration. She’s not voting for Chuck Schumer… but when the time comes, the best way for Trump to get his revenge in the next 2-3 years is to send his wife, who has only one mission — preserve her husband’s legacy and get Trump.
We may not agree with McCain politically, but he is actually a shrewd politician, and I believe this will be his final act — making sure his seat is filled with the one person he can trust to vote Trump out and guarantee that happens.
I’ll go along with that.