I have never been a fan of the hyper-partisan, self-dealing* Mitch McConnell, but I have always been forced to admit to some grudging respect for his ability to accumulate and use power, to manipulate the system to the benefit of his party and (while it goes without saying but makes him no different than any of his colleagues in either party) himself.
However, I won’t start celebrating his long-goodbye announcement today any time soon, but not just because he will be replaced by someone a lot like him, albeit probably less effective in the short term. No, my fear is based on the ramifications of the power vacuum he is creating.
The Berndt Power Theory postulates that political power in any environment is (essentially) constant and that the elimination or diminishment of any one power source will be replaced, perhaps by multiple persons, but replaced nonetheless. There will undoubtedly be some temporary disintegration of his power in the resulting friction between his colleagues to claim it as their own, but eventually equilibrium will be restored.
What worries me is the frightening and very real possibility that he will be replaced by a far worse devil, some nationalist MAGA toady that, combined with the possible reinstallation of Trump as president, would further undermine the already shaky foundations of democracy in the United States.
Senator McConnell, for all his partisanship, did serve as a check on the power of the nationalist MAGA wing, albeit such a gentle hand-check that even the most vigilant referee would be hard-pressed to call a foul. McConnell, at least, wanted power for the party which he believed was best suited to lead the country, was dedicated to the democratic traditions of the Senate (no matter how undemocratic they may often have seemed), believed in the rule of law, and practiced courtesy and decorum. I wish I were more confident that his replacement would have even a modicum of his level of honor and principles. But I have none.
*self-dealing ≠ corrupt by my definiton and applies to vitually every politician on the national stage. It’s what makes “politician” such a lucrative gig that its practioners will spend million$ to win a job that pays mere thousand$.
