Chris McDaniel Confirms the Worst GOP Stereotypes
I get that supporting a longtime incumbent like Senator Thad Cochran rubs some people the wrong way. Fine. That’s why we have elections. But let’s not allow disappointment after a close election push us into embracing a mean, unserious, self-defeating version of conservatism.
Chris McDaniel is now saying the “election was stolen” without providing a shred of evidence. It’s an extraordinarily irresponsible statement by an elected official. On Monday, his lawyer, who was last seen losing to Haley Barbour in a run for governor by almost 60 points, made allegations of voter fraud, again without evidence. This is exactly the sort of “throw it up against the wall and see what sticks” legal approach we Republicans ridiculed Al Gore for in the Florida recount.
The Supreme Court ended that sad chapter. Ultimately, we are a country of laws and despite what Chris McDaniel seems to believe, losing an election is not proof that a system was rigged. It just proves you lost.
Let’s hope any conservative enchantment with loss fades and is replaced with a new passion for governing. And to govern, as many have observed, you must win. So let’s embrace a conservatism that is happy about winning, not angry about losing.
Daily Beast
7/8/14
Magnolia Tribune
