In the American Conservative, Bradley Devlin writes that, after “the Red Wave That Wasn’t, “Republican voters across the country are starving for some accountability, and justifiably so. They should look no further than GOP leadership, namely House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.” Really? All signs point to self-styled anti-establishment candidates hurting the GOP more than anyone. Devlin’s account fails to reckon with the failures of Blake Masters, Kari Lake, and Joe Kent as candidates, for example.
This type of politics was a drag on winning tickets, too. Take Ohio’s J. D. Vance, for instance. The venture capitalist–turned-populist firebrand beat Democrat Tim Ryan by 6.1 percent. This margin of victory is certainly nothing to scoff at, but it’s a relatively lackluster showing — especially compared with other statewide results — in what has become a solidly red state. Those who want to scapegoat Senate Republican minority leader Mitch McConnell can’t be let off the hook. Against a House Democratic caucus backbencher, Vance failed to match former president Donald Trump’s 2020 margin of victory despite $32 million in support from Team Mitch via a McConnell-aligned super PAC, fundraising from megadonors such as Peter Thiel, multiple rallies with GOP bigwigs, and nightly shilling from infotainment personalities such as Tucker Carlson. The more than $70 million that Ryan raised in his campaign against Vance may have had an impact, but only because it capitalized on Vance’s flaws as a candidate. The reality is that J. D. was a mediocre candidate who underperformed.
Now, since Indiana GOP senator Mike Braun announced he’s running for governor in 2024, Republican Study Committee chairman and Vance ally Jim Banks says he’s strongly considering running for Braun’s seat. This is not what Republicans need right now. Banks was the wrong man for House GOP Whip, and he’s not right for this job, either. Mitch Daniels, successful former Indiana governor and underappreciated Purdue University president, is much more suitable for this role. Let’s hope Daniels gets in the race. The last thing Republicans trying to shake a spate of losses need is another Vance-like candidate.