For those readers wondering if we’re going to see more public, conditional endorsements from the former President, the answer, I think, is yes, in view of this capitulation:
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy [(R-AK)] has accepted former President Donald Trump’s conditional endorsement of his 2022 reelection campaign, according to a message sent from Trump’s political action committee.
Trump offered Dunleavy his “Complete and Total Endorsement” earlier this week, but only if Dunleavy refused to endorse fellow Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski for reelection.
“Please tell the President thank you for the endorsement,” Dunleavy’s response stated, according to a message from Trump’s Save America PAC on Thursday evening. “With regard to the other issue, please tell the President he has nothing to worry about. I appreciate all 45 has done for Alaska and this country.” [Anchorage Daily News]
While Dunleavy probably calculates that he’s more likely to win with Trump on his side, rather than on someone else’s side, on a national level this is significant because if Murkowski is significantly weakened from both a split in the local GOP and an independent set of voters who are repulsed by the naked power politics, it’s not impossible that the Democrats could win this seat.
And other seats where Trump wants to run his selfish power play.
An ancillary result is the probability that another fourth or fifth rater will advance to the Senate. While I’ll decline to rate Murkowski, who, like most of the old line Republicans, never seem to comprehend what’s happened to their party, and has failed to exit the party, I will say she seems at least somewhat better than the average run of Republican. Replacement by some incompetent boob who can’t think further than which dance will get him/her the nomination and seat is a discouraging thought for folks who think government should be competent servants to the people, and not to some failed President.
And this may apply to a few other seats in both the House and the Senate. More phone calls for Senator McConnell (R-KY) may be in his future, begging Members of Congress not to switch parties.
