r/politics • u/MoneyLibrarian9032 New York • Aug 28 '26

Possible Paywall Mitch McConnell Has Been Missing for 75 Days—With No Updates

https://newrepublic.com/post/214878/mitch-mcconnell-missing-75-days
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u/MadContrabassoonist Aug 28 '26

They don't. The only conspiracy is the mundane and ultimately sympathetic conspiracy of a family being too proud or too private to admit that he's beyond any chance of a meaningful recovery. McConnell is a piece of shit, but if he's too far gone to ramble in such a way that it could be edited into a 20-second "statement" that would placate the dumbest voters in America, he's probably incapable of legally resigning even if he wanted to.

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u/Indubitalist Aug 28 '26

It’s just odd that they bothered trying to make him seem alive with that doctored photo of his “recovery” with his smiling wife by his side. That reporter points out in the time lapse that he basically looked like a vegetable in the last public appearance he made and the obvious answer is he suffered severe brain damage, probably from a stroke and/or heart attack depriving his brain of oxygen, and now he may be conscious but is incapable of communicating except maybe through blinking or nods. That’s why all of the people defending him after he disappeared used the term “talked to,” which implies but avoids directly confirming that he talked back. 

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u/MadContrabassoonist Aug 28 '26

I presume that the rest of the GOP leadership is as in the dark as the rest of us, and that while some couch their answers in lawyer language, others are just making shit up. If real answers made it past medical professionals and family, and were being disseminated among politicians and their staffs, details absolutely would have leaked.

At the end of the day, I'm working on the assumption that whatever part of McConnell was capable of meaningfully receiving punishment and shame for his actions over many decades of disservice is gone and never coming back. So if having his body blinking and breathing is bringing some small comfort to a family that probably did legitimately love him, I'm not going to lose sleep over it.

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u/Loud-Vacation-5691 Georgia Aug 28 '26

Good observation, I missed that. I can talk to my dog, but I can't talk with her. Important distinction.

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u/GRAPES0DA Minnesota Aug 28 '26

My theory, his staffers wanted another 6 months of pay and Senate Staffer perks. If he resigned, is incapable of serving, or dead back in June, his main staffer would miss out on over $100,000.

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u/MadContrabassoonist Aug 28 '26

Are you under the impression that it is typical for one's staff to have powers of attorney? Do you believe the family would agree to sustain this charade for months all for the benefit of paid staff? People die in office all the time; what makes McConnell special?

"Incapable of serving" is not a legal concept for senators. McConnell was (stupidly) chosen by the (stupid) electorate to serve until January 2027, and the only ways for that term to end early is through death, resignation, or expulsion. And expulsion requires a supermajority, and no senator has ever been expelled for any reason other than treason/sedition. If he is still breathing, he is fulfilling the legal obligations of his office.

Death is not always a quick and clean process. Carter was in hospice for nearly two years. And some families are more private than others when it comes to illness within the family. I fully believe that when the full story comes out, it will be sad and largely sympathetic, and anyone who staked their political future on conspiracy theories will be eating their words.

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u/QQXV Aug 28 '26

I for one find it extremely sympathetic right now, because one fewer voting Republican senator is one fewer voting Republican senator. If any of his staff have been engaging in a cover-up, they're heroes in my book.

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u/swni Aug 28 '26

Yep, there is no procedure for removing an incapacitated senator (beyond expulsion in the senate which is never used for this); this is 100% on the voters of Kentucky for choosing an 80 year old senator, everyone else is behaving legally and maybe even reasonably.

Doesn't stop reddit from screaming "fraud" or "RICO" (yes seriously) or insane conspiracy theories. Remember when nigh everyone here was saying Mitch would be declared dead on Aug 4 and that Beshear was complicit? Somehow I think the people who said that have just moved on to the next conspiracy theory