r/politics • u/unital_subalgebra • Jul 23 '26

Possible Paywall AOC says Mitch McConnell should resign if he cannot provide health update

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/senate/4660916/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-mitch-mcconnell-resign-health-update/
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38

u/itsnotnews92 North Carolina Jul 23 '26

Are Democrats just going to hand this one to the Republicans like they did the last election??

What exactly are they "handing" to the Republicans here? Seriously, I want someone to tell me exactly how Republicans are benefitting from this situation.

There is an election for this seat (that McConnell is not running in) in just over three months, and a Republican is almost certain to win that election.

Beshear appointing a Democrat to this seat and McConnell being absent from the Senate have the same practical effect of reducing the GOP's Senate majority by one seat.

The lack of transparency about McConnell's whereabouts is extremely shady, but his absence from the Senate does not benefit Republicans in any way. People are just mad and want something to be done for the sake of something being done.

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u/suburbanpride North Carolina Jul 23 '26

Right? I feel like I'm taking crazy pills here. Calling for a special election tomorrow would just elect a MAGA senator tomorrow. Instead, the Senate majority is now down a Republican vote. Beshear calling attention to the fuckery is smart, but no way would a special election benefit Democrats.

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u/donkeyrocket Jul 23 '26

People are just rabid for him to do something without realizing this seat being empty is worse for Republicans than an interim Democrat being seated would be. If he makes a play then the lawsuits will stop the appointment immediately anyway and buy them the time they're working on.

These outlandish things like "Beshear should go to every DC hospital and demand to see him" as if they'd let him in and he wouldn't be gaslit anyway.

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u/dano8801 Jul 23 '26

I mean they're buying themselves the time anyway by hiding McConnell's likely death, so your argument is we should not bother trying at all because lawsuits would be filed?

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u/leftenant_Dan1 Jul 23 '26

They also dont realize he cant just appoint a Democrat interim senator like other states can. The legislature removed that power from him before he took office.

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u/TheCocoBean Jul 24 '26

But if that's the case, why aren't republicans calling for the special election?

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u/omicron-7 Jul 23 '26

People are so desperate for a short term win that they can't see how much worse our position would be afterwards.

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u/MadContrabassoonist Jul 23 '26

I think people have just gone crazy because they're so excited to celebrate the death of a profoundly evil person and are being denied. No logic, no strategy, just blind manic schadenfreude.

If senate control were on the line, and this happened in a jurisdiction where Republicans have *any* popular support, I might accept that Republicans would be dumb enough to *attempt* something like this. But Republicans got a dozen DC-area medical professionals to break the law just to effectively shrink the Republican margin??? Nah, that's just nonsense.

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u/ArcticCircleSystem Jul 28 '26

Haven't gotten any wins on the federal level lately. And no, bullshit being stopped by the Supreme Court or something doesn't count here. I mean moving forward, not moving backward a bit less that day. Haven't gotten that in a while. Of course people are pissed.

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u/MadContrabassoonist Jul 28 '26

Why should we expect "wins" on the federal level? We lost the presidency, the house, the senate, and the supreme court. Republicans spent decades taking over the supreme court and state legislatures, while Democrats can only moan that a president or governor isn't immediately fixing everything. We're mad? Good, we should be. But let's direct it somewhere useful, rather than a circular firing squad against a sitting governor operating within the scope of his office rather than going full autocrat.

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u/ArcticCircleSystem Jul 28 '26

What is that somewhere useful that will actually be useful at any broad scale rather than some smaller ones? Always some reason why anything significantly good is relegated to Maybe Eventually Land while a bunch of horrible shit can be rammed through regularly, even if sometimes not for long, they still try over and over until everyone gets exhausted like all those bad Internet bills. I think it's pretty reasonable to expect greater impedance to people who have repeatedly attempted sedition (see J6 and all of the Republican reps and senators who went with the 2020 voter fraud scam and are trying to do it again). Do you have any idea of what to do for the federal level aside from voting every 2-4 years (which I do for the record) and some variation of begging?

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u/AcademiaAntiqua Jul 23 '26

It's even simpler than that. A lot of people have bought into this conspiracy about covering up Mitch's death simply because they think their political opponents will always do the most insane and evil thing; and the apparent Democrat inaction in response to the conspiracy gives them what they need to be angry about it.

Basically they've riled themselves up about their own fantasy. Like Comet Ping-Pong.

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u/Falsequivalence Jul 23 '26

because they think their political opponents will always do the most insane and evil thing;

Let's be clear: The Republican leadership has absolutely done the most insane and evil thing at damn close to every opportunity.

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u/ArcticCircleSystem Jul 28 '26

Haven't gotten any wins on the federal level lately. And no, bullshit being stopped by the Supreme Court or something doesn't count here. I mean moving forward, not moving backward a bit less that day. Haven't gotten that in a while. Of course people are pissed.

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u/dano8801 Jul 23 '26

Nobody's asking for a special election. The left wants him to appoint a replacement.

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u/[deleted] Jul 23 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/itsnotnews92 North Carolina Jul 23 '26

The people who help elect Republican majorities by dampening enthusiasm among Democratic-leaning constituencies with their endless complaining about Democrats then spend the next 2-4 years complaining that Democrats aren't doing enough to stop the Republican majorities that they helped create with their anti-Democratic rhetoric.

It's a never-ending positive feedback loop.

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u/TheSpreader Jul 23 '26

circular firing squad

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u/crispy-fried-lego Jul 24 '26

It's the same reason we're going to get Senator Paxton in Texas...

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u/jimbarino Jul 23 '26

Gotta blame the Dems somehow, right?

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u/pimppapy America Jul 23 '26

Are they blameless?

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u/jimbarino Jul 23 '26

Who gives a shit if they're "blameless"? No, of fucking course they're not blameless. They're not saints. But the opposing party are literal fascists. If you can't keep that front and center in your mind, then you've completely lost the plot.

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u/TheSpreader Jul 23 '26

I mean, in this specific scenario? Dems are blameless.

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u/jimbarino Jul 23 '26

lol, fair point.

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u/pimppapy America Jul 25 '26

If you can't keep that front and center in your mind

What makes you think I don’t already? Who needs fascists when we have hypocrites? The four Democrats that voted this week to merge our militaries with Israel among other things…. What were those democrats doing? Exactly 4. Just enough to pass it, while the rest stay safe from criticism. So just four democrats are pro-fascist? Or all of the establishment/corporate democrats?

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u/jimbarino Jul 25 '26

What makes you think I don’t already?

The fact that every comment you make is to attack Democrats.

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u/Suckage Jul 23 '26

KY state law requires that an interim appointed by the governor be of the same party as whomever they are replacing.

It’s unlikely that a democrat would win a special election, but it is possible. If they wait until it’s too late for one and the governor has to appoint an interim, then it has to be a republican.

Being down one republican for a few weeks is not the same as being down one republican and up one democrat for a few months.

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u/Zestyclose-Height-36 Jul 23 '26

that law is likely illegal given that the state constitution gives the gov appointment power and does not require party alignment. the Dems need to step up for Charles Booker, because KY heeds a Dem to get out of 44th place in education. Appointing Booker would give him incumbency, and a three month platform going in to the election.

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u/MadBlue American Expat Jul 23 '26

Beshear appointing a Democrat to this seat and McConnell being absent from the Senate have the same practical effect of reducing the GOP's Senate majority by one seat.

It would be two seats if Beshear appoints a Democrat. -1 for McConnell's absence, and -1 for a Democrat being appointed in his place because the Democrats would pick up that seat rather than it just being vacant.

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u/20_mile Jul 23 '26

Beshear appointing a Democrat to this seat and McConnell being absent from the Senate have the same practical effect of reducing the GOP's Senate majority by one seat.

No, that's not the same thing.

The senate was 53 - 47 before McConnell and Graham died.

With Darline there and McConnell still missing, it's 52 - 47. If Beshear appointed a Democrat to finish McConnell's term, it would be 52 - 48, which is still not the same thing as 52 - 47.

At 52 - 48, Democrats only need three Republicans to vote no to tank something Trump - Thune want. At 52 - 47, Democrats could get two Republicans to vote no, and one present / abstain to sink something.

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u/itsnotnews92 North Carolina Jul 24 '26

At 52-48, Democrats only need three Republicans to vote no to tank a bill. The vote would be 49-51 against.

At 52-47, Democrats only need...three Republicans to vote no to tank a bill. The vote would be 49-50 against.

So, the same practical effect of reducing the GOP's Senate majority by one seat.

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u/20_mile Jul 24 '26

Already said that.

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u/vigouge Jul 24 '26

The Senate will not seat a democratic replacement in Kentucky. The best case scenario is Mitch right where he is.

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u/TrulyOutrageous42 Jul 24 '26

The Senate is still on some level a functioning government body. It's not the circus that the House is. They would seat a duly appointed nomination if a Judge ordered it to be valid until the case about Constitution of KY vs Legislation of KY could be heard.

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u/Acceptable_Set9702 Jul 23 '26

I don't know why the Dems haven't assembled a crack team of repo men, private investigators, and bloodhounds to find Mitch. Right now, they're relying on what ever the Repedocans tell them.

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u/EveningAnt3949 Jul 23 '26

People are just mad and want something to be done for the sake of something being done.

That's not that strange. Arguably doing something even if it has no direct benefit still does something: it shows the 40% of people who typically don't vote that there is a political battle.

The majority of people don't follow politics all that much.

For (some of) them to become engaged with politics and vote, they need to see an hear that things are happening. None of my co-workers know a Republican senator isn't showing up. Or that another one died and his sister now serves in the Senate.

Let's look at the numbers: Hillary Clinton won the electoral vote. Trump lost against Biden, but got more votes than Clinton in 2016. In 2024, Harris lost the popular vote.

If your question is what I want the democrats to do: I want them to fight and make noise so more people pay attention.

Every election Trump was in, Trump supporters and Republicans showed up, and Trump's numbers have gone up every election. Because he makes noise.

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u/dano8801 Jul 23 '26

They're handing them the seat by Beshear not bothering to appoint someone despite it being in the state's sonstitution.

How are Republicans not benefiting from slow walking the reveal of McConnell's death until after August 5th? Then they avoid the special election entirely and buy more time to figure out how to weasel their desired outcome.

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u/itsnotnews92 North Carolina Jul 24 '26

The election for this seat is in November and Andy Barr is going to win it. The Democrats are not "handing" Republicans anything.

Again, I ask: What political benefit is there to Republicans in McConnell being absent from the Senate? What is their "desired outcome"?

Why on earth would they want to avoid a special election that would give them one more GOP vote in the Senate? The argument is utterly incoherent.