Donald Trump’s legacy convinces idiots that they should run for office

Donald Trump has left his mark on the American corporate body in many ways. But one of the less-discussed aspects of how the 45th President changed this country forever is how he gave unqualified idiots the grandiose confidence to believe that they, too, should run for high political office.

Look no further than the midterms in November. Last week, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell acknowledged that the House of Representatives was more likely to switch to the Republicans than to the Senate, blaming the “quality of the candidates.”

The criticism was interpreted as a veiled shot at Trump (who backed some of the weakest Senate candidates like Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania and former NFL star Herschel Walker in Georgia). The truth, however, is that most people don’t realize that Trump is balanced more Damage to Republicans’ chances of retaking the Senate.

If Trump hadn’t sabotaged two US Senate seats in Georgia in 2020 by insisting that the vote had been rigged, Republicans would never have lost control of the Senate. Additionally, Senator Kelly Loeffler would be running for re-election, making Herschel Walker’s (let’s say) unorthodox candidacy a moot point.

The same goes for dr. Oz’s gross faux pas. Without Trump, it’s entirely possible that Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, instead of heading for the exits, will be trundling for re-election in Keystone State.

Next door in Ohio, best-selling author JD Vance faces an unexpectedly tough challenge from Democratic Rep. Tim Ryan. But barring the specter of Trump looming over GOP election politics, would Republican Senator Rob Portman retire in what is usually considered a great Republican year?

Opportunities for recruiting candidates have also been missed. In a normal world, Doug Ducey, Arizona’s term-limited governor (and who has been targeted by Trump for not going along with the stolen election lie), would likely have run for the US Senate this year. The same could be argued about New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu — a popular, sensible Republican — who also chose not to run for the Senate.

Aside from brushing aside good candidates who might win, another aspect of Trump’s influence is that he’s a magnet for inexperienced and just plain weird wannabes.

“What do GOP Senate candidates Mehmet Oz, Herschel Walker, Vance, [Arizona Senate candidate] Blake Masters and the not-so-Trumpy [Colorado Senate candidate] Joe O’Dea have in common?” asks National Review Jim Geraghty. “None of them have run for office before. je. Not even the city council or the school board.” (Geraghty also points out that the same is true of Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.)

Certainly, the trend towards inexperienced candidates precedes Trump, even if Trump’s example has made the phenomenon more widespread. Yes, ex-wrestler and actor Jesse Ventura was elected governor of Minnesota, comedian and SNL veteran Al Franken was elected to the Senate from the same state, Arnold Schwarzenegger won the governorship in California, and of course, a reality star was named Trump elected President.

Then there were the celebrities-turned-politicians who came to the table with some caveats. Ronald Reagan was an actor, but he was also President of the Screen Actors Guild. Jack Kemp was quarterback for the Buffalo Bills, but he was also a political wok, interning for Reagan before he was elected to the House of Representatives. Bill Bradley had a Basketball Hall of Fame career with the New York Knicks, but he was a Rhodes Scholar who also worked on political campaigns before winning a New Jersey Senate seat.

Some politically naïve people are obviously talented in their chosen fields. dr Ben Carson, for example, was a renowned neurosurgeon before becoming a ridiculous presidential candidate. But politics is different from other pursuits, and just because the rules didn’t apply to Trump in 2016 doesn’t mean they don’t apply to you.

And there’s a difference between wishing for a bunch of boring establishment career politicians and thinking the US Senate is an inexperienced gig for shabby celebrities.

Regardless, Trump won’t have to pay a price if his mix of unready prime-time candidates loses in November — which is becoming increasingly likely.

If the US Senate’s sabotage the day before the Capitol riot wasn’t enough to hurt him among Republicans, it’s hard to imagine that Dr. Oz losing to John Fetterman would end his political career.

Also, Trump would rather head a MAGA party whose remaining members are 100 percent committed to him than a big tent party whose members think for themselves. He doesn’t give a damn if Republicans control the Senate in 2022. For Trump, everything revolves around Trump and always will be.

If anyone will pay the price politically, it will likely be Mitch McConnell, the stalwart GOP tactician who so obviously despises Trump – but was reluctant to risk his own political capital to defeat him. Should Trump’s gang of idiot candidates fail, it will cost McConnell a chance to reclaim the title of Majority Leader.

McConnell has had a chance to save the party before, like when he voted to acquit Trump in his second impeachment trial before delivering an impassioned speech in which the Kentucky Senator blamed Trump solely for Jan. 6.

But he then blew it, just as Republicans seem poised to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory at halftime.

As Trump might say, “SAD!”