"Say 'Hello!' To My Little Friend!"

The perfect Republican Senate candidate from Missouri.

How did the GOP get like this?

For an answer, let’s review the lineup for the Republican nomination to Missouri’s soon-to-be-open Senate seat:

• Eric Greitens was elected Missouri governor after making national news for a campaign ad in which he fires a machine gun into a field for no apparent reason. He made national news again, two years later, with his crash-and-burn exit from office under allegations of political corruption and personal depravity. Greitens thinks this qualifies him for the Senate. Donald Trump’s inner circle agrees.

• Eric Schmitt’s brief tenure as Missouri’s attorney general has been notable for his filing of silly, doomed lawsuits, including one against China, in pathetic pursuit of headlines. (Suggested campaign slogan: A vote for Schmitt will make Beijing … nervous.)

• Mark McCloskey waved a gun around at protesters who were walking peacefully past his house, and then — well, actually, that’s it, that’s his entire political résumé. He’s the quintessential MAGA candidate. Meaning, a lying blowhard who’s facing felony charges.

And it all comes down to this:

All of the above notwithstanding, in today’s polarized environment, a red state like Missouri simply won’t elect a Democrat next year, no matter the alternative. That same environment makes it unlikely that one of the increasingly rare grownups in the Missouri GOP can wrench the nomination from the Trumpier-than-thou crowd. Which means one of these three circus barkers is very likely going to the Senate. This is how the GOP got like this.

Rick Wilson keeps saying (as this column does) that this is all due to Trump.  Well, yeah, but Missouri won't elect a Democrat next year, anymore than Texas was going to elect Beto in 2018 or M.J. Hegar in 2020.  Rick Wilson insists the Democrats in Congress ignore this reality and squash the GOP like bugs in D.C.

Sure, that's how it works.  Do Trump, but do him on our side.

When the Lincoln Project manages to get Florida to elect just one Democrat to the Senate, I can start to take them seriously.  Until then....

(the answer to the question that started this is:  diligent work by people like Rick Wilson.  Sorry, but the enemy of my enemy doesn't remain my friend forever.)