McConnell: No Way I Get Displaced as Leader Next Year; I've Already Got the Votes Lined Up

I wouldn't usually link this (kind of minor and speculative and divisive) except I was just having this exact discussion in the O'Donnell/Castle thread.

It's no sure thing, despite him brave-facing it:

Though several Tea Party-backed Republican challengers – including, most recently, Alaska Senate candidate Joe Miller – have said they won’t commit yet to backing McConnell, fueling speculation of a possible leadership challenge, the Kentucky Republican said he isn’t worried about such chatter.

I would bet on McConnell, if I were a betting man, but I'm not a betting man, because there's no such thing as a sure thing. And he's not a sure thing. He has a big group of Tea Party candidates coming in -- some, like Rand Paul, who had to defeat his own hand-picked candidate -- and others just generally opposed to business-as-usual in DC, more shake-it-up types. You add them to Jim DeMint's Hooker-Lipstick-Red Caucus and there is some chance of a new leader (minority leader or, more likely, majority leader).

Now, the GOP is notoriously antagonistic to drama and palace coups and people jumping in line, but, as you all know, the party has become a bit more unexpected and dramatic lately.

I'd bet on McConnell, but I wouldn't bet much. FWIW, I think... I'm meh on him. I don't dislike him, I don't resent him, I understand the need for tactics and stuff, but I also don't really find him much of a spokesman.

He doesn't rev me up. I don't think he revs anyone up. He sort of seems somnolent by genetic disposition and conscious choice. Whenever I have trouble sleeping I count Mitch McConnell's jumping over a fence.

Still, all this excitement and stuff in the party -- we've got a lot of it. We might want to avoid making things too exciting. We're casting a Senate, not The Expendables here.

posted by Ace at 02:28 PM

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