Senator Mitch McConnell, R, battered, relentlessly bold, and sometimes bellicose, has been projected to have won his race in Kentucky.
His re-election, which was NOT a sure thing, means he will likely be up against a D majority in the Senate, but most importantly, as a minority leader, he may be able to initiate filibusters to prevent various bills from going forward in the Senate … assuming he can gain 41 out of 100 Senators to agree with him.
So, watch for how many Dems are being returned or will be newly elected to the Senate tonight… to see how a hidden source of power by the minority group will take shape.
Also, watch how Senator McConnell conducts himself in the Senate in terms of his GOP party, for his actions will be a bellwether re whether there really will be sincere bi-partisan cooperation during the next four years. He is one of the main exemplars of the GOP.
I hope for this… cooperation for a change. Otherwise, I suspect we’ll all be revisiting the idea of another squandered four years term of office. We’d all be the poorer for such.
The last time the Democrats had an overwhelming presence was the Carter years. Hopefully, all Ds elected to Congress tonight are avid readers of history.