The Republicans of the 118th Congress look like they’re off to a surprisingly auspicious start.
On the House side, Republicans went with Tom Emmer (R., Minn.) for majority whip. Emmer isn’t a visionary. He’s a generic Republican who’s insufficiently conservative on social issues. But at least he understands that reprising on the same shambolic platform that burned the party last week is not the way to go — unlike Jim Banks (R., Ind.). After all, as Einstein famously said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”
As for Senate Republicans, Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) faced Rick Scott (R., Fla.) in his first leadership challenge since the beginning of his tenure and ultimately prevailed. Scott’s futile bid for minority leader never made much sense, and McConnell’s record isn’t immaculate. But the GOP is right to stick with him, given his political talent and the lack of viable alternatives.
Has the GOP finally seen the error of its ways and committed to imbuing itself with the lesson of the midterms? That remains to be seen. But this is undoubtedly a welcome sign and a step in the right direction.