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We need a “In a world... one man” parody trailer about McConnell.
There’s never been a better illustration of absolute power corrupting absolutely
I’m genuinely curious about his worldview. What’s the story he sees himself as the hero of?
Facts about him I find intriguing:
- Was once a moderate and even attended civil rights rallies
- First wife turned into a feminist scholar
- 3 Daughters estranged from him?
- “Voracious reader of history” (I’d love to know what kind)
- Second wife Chinese heiress
- Was once a moderate and even attended civil rights rallies
- First wife turned into a feminist scholar
- 3 Daughters estranged from him?
- “Voracious reader of history” (I’d love to know what kind)
- Second wife Chinese heiress
Unlike Trump he’s not a ultimately a simple person. He seems to relish being cast as a villain rather than being in denial about it. Embraces the Darth Vader moniker. I can’t fit a worldview to all this. Insufficient data.
He’s also a southern baptist but I doubt he’s actually religious. I *think* he’s a cross between a disillusioned liberal and a competent Steve Bannon. Nor racist but civilizationalist. Sees himself holding back barbarians at the gates. Even if he sometimes has to deal with them.
I suspect he’s intelligent but not introspective. Straussian, touch of holy warrior, likes the game but plays it for some mix of higher purpose and personal profit. Much concerned with mortality and legacy. I’m curious about anything he has no personal connection to.
He’s 78 so easier to wait him out than outthink him I suppose
Looking at his history more carefully. He *is* the “more competent authoritarian” we’ve been warned about 
Ok maybe he’s not that interesting after all. It really could be as simple as basic careerist ambition as several have suggested. https://twitter.com/b_rade8/status/1326044513790537728
“On three occasions (voting for LBJ when he ran against Goldwater, supporting a primary challenger against a Republican who didn't support the Civil Rights Act, voting for sanctions against South Africa during apartheid) McConnell took a stand in support of civil rights.”
Huh “He states that he regrets two of those great stands he took in support of civil rights (voting for LBJ and supporting a primary challenge) because party loyalty is the most important thing. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27209388-the-long-game
Not gonna read the book but excerpts make him sound like the political equivalent of a cartoon techbro. Money as voice plus growth hacking, pure transactional mindset. Reminds me of the kind of founder who only thinks in terms of valuations and exit multiples and share prices.
I get the sense now he himself is oddly blind to the historic poetry of what he’s achieved. The exquisite destructions. A pure tactician whose strategic impact is almost an externality. Maybe there’s an Efficient Mitch Hypothesis just like there’s an Efficient Trump Hypothesis.
“People don't see it, but there are two things about him that don't always come across in interviews with him. One is his empathy for people, and the other is his humor. He has this really dry wit that a lot of people don't get to see.” https://www.eenews.net/special_reports/offtopic/stories/1060144865
Ok for once a voxsplainer is helpful. Confirms the picture that was forming in my head. A life seeking repeated validation of one really strongly held belief (“money talks”) through winning elections. Basic scorecard guy. Shallow/incurious about all else. https://www.vox.com/2017/1/2/14123496/mitch-mcconnell-motives
I was looking for just about any human color to who he is and found nothing. No hobbies, no real interests outside of the political process, not even any policy interests besides the procedural one if campaign finance. He’s a banker of political capital.
In many ways very similar to Trump, except within politics and actually successful. He runs a successful political casino and real estate business. SCOTUS is just his Trump tower. The difference is, he’s self-aware and not needy for validation as being things he is not.
The nickname turtle is well-deserved. Hard to find a point of attack. It’s all shell. Only thing I think that will get to him is stuff spinning out of control in ways that money can’t fix for even his personal zone of power. Nearly uncritical belief in money is his only weakness.
Hmm. Biden might be his perfect adversary. All ground game, no air game at all. Two effective but stylistically different 1:1 social network broker types grappling with each other. The difference is Biden is sensitive to narrative which is both a strength and a weakness.
It’ll be very hard to get inside his OODA loop though. With a majority he’s Bartleby the scrivener “I would prefer not to”
Without a majority he’s like “build up the warchest and ride it out till you win again.”
Cut deals when weak, obstruct when strong.
Without a majority he’s like “build up the warchest and ride it out till you win again.”
Cut deals when weak, obstruct when strong.
Besides cutting money lines and propping up internal competition the only real way to threaten him is to build up competing centers of power. Or perhaps go after whoever he works through. He wields too much power to do it alone, so weakness in personal staff should weaken him
Interesting adversary. Whenever I’ve encountered this type, I’ve either co-opted or avoided them. Going directly up against them is almost never worth it. Absent a lucky break you have to be prepared for the same long attrition grind they are. Few care for the game that much.
