Over the years, Aesop’s fable about the turtle and the hare have had many conflicting interpretations. But the moral of the story remains the same; you can be more successful by doing things slowly and steadily than by acting quickly and without thought.
In my opinion, no one understands this more than Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell. Over the course of five years, McConnell has slowly and steadily destroyed all three branches of government, the presidency, the Senate, and the court system. Now, after three and a half years of enabling Donald Trump. it appears that the turtle is finally about to lose the race.
To put it mildly, it has been a rough couple of months for McConnell. For the first time this election cycle, the Senate map has shifted to favor democrats, threatening McConnell’s hold on power.
The non-partisan election handicapper, Cook Political report labels Arizona senator Martha McSally’s race against Democrat Mark Kelly, ‘likely D’. A shift from last month was it was classified as a ‘toss-up’.
Six Republican seats are now considered to be competitive up from four a month ago, according to Cook: Colorado, Maine, Iowa, Montana, North Carolina and Georgia. There is a real possibility that Republican could lose seven seats this November while Democrat may lose just one, Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama, Cook rated his race as ‘likely R’.
The vulnerable Republican senators cannot turn to the White House for help given that it is Trump’s bungled response to the coronavirus pandemic that contributed to their current situation in the first place. Donald Trump has no idea how to control the coronavirus. His response to the pandemic has been the subject of many political ads that links his fate to his handling of the virus and also tying McConnell’s Senate majority to Trump.
Not only is McConnell forced to defend his majority against a president who seems hell-bent on dragging it down with him, but he’s also defending his seat. A recent Quinnipiac poll shows him leading democratic challenger Amy McGrath by 5 points. Even though it is unlikely that McGrath will beat McConnell a race this close is bound to draw his attention. That’s attention diverted away from more vulnerable Senate races and navigating negotiations over the next coronavirus relief package, which his state desperately needs especially since Dr. Fauci said Kentucky is showing early signs that a coronavirus outbreak is brewing.
Democrats, let’s not be the hare in this story…again. The last thing we need is a repeat of 2016 where we were so confident that we’ll win that we stop halfway and took a nap and by the time we realize what we’ve done it was too late. Let’s continue working, volunteering, and never let up because none of this is possible unless we all do our part.
