Podcast Summary: "Mitch McConnell, the Most Dangerous Politician in America"

Podcast: The Political Scene | The New Yorker
Date: April 16, 2020
Host: Dorothy Wickenden
Guest: Jane Mayer (New Yorker staff writer)

Episode Overview

This episode dissects the career and influence of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, examining his relationship with Donald Trump and his pivotal role in reshaping both the Republican Party and the U.S. political landscape. Through an in-depth conversation with Jane Mayer, The New Yorker’s chief Washington correspondent, the episode explores McConnell’s history, motivations, family dynamics, and the ways in which his pursuit of power has compromised democratic norms and legislative progress.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. McConnell’s Evolution and the Republican Party

• Legacy of Opposition:
  McConnell rose to prominence during the Obama administration by uniting Republicans in opposition to virtually all Democratic initiatives.
• Trump’s Enabler:
  Rather than acting as an institutional check, McConnell became a powerful facilitator for the Trump administration.
  • "[McConnell] has become Trump's most powerful facilitator, propping up an administration he privately scorns and ensuring the president a succession of legislative and judicial victories." (Dorothy Wickenden, 01:16)

2. Plutocratic Populism and the “Faustian Bargain”

• Coalition Politics:
  Mayer explains how the GOP's current strength comes from an alliance between wealthy donors (“plutocrats”) and populist, often nationalist, bases—each group lacking the numbers to win alone.
  • “Basically what you have is…the Republican Party has come down to a kind of a Faustian bargain between the rich donors whose business interests are served by the Republican Party…and the way they've done it…is by creating a coalition with populists, the sort of Trump type.” (Jane Mayer, 03:59)
• Mutual Dependence:
  McConnell represents business interests; Trump claims populism. Their partnership is emblematic of the modern Republican Party.

3. Personal Contradictions and Pursuit of Power

• From Reform Advocate to Fundraiser-in-Chief:
  Early in his career, McConnell condemned money’s corrupting role in politics. Later, he became one of its biggest beneficiaries.
  • “He knows that politics is corrupted by huge money, but yet he spent his entire career enabling it. He knows that Trump is not fit…yet he has spent the last nearly four years enabling Trump…It seems to be…his own just wanting power.” (Jane Mayer, 06:10)
• “Money, Money, Money” Philosophy:
  McConnell openly acknowledged the primacy of money in politics to students in the 1970s.
  • “One day he wrote on the blackboard the three necessary elements for success in politics: Money, money, money.” (Dorothy Wickenden, 07:09)

4. Champion of Big Donors and Corporate Interests

• Alignment with Major Donors:
  McConnell’s deep ties to the Koch brothers, DeVos family, and other right-wing mega-donors have cemented his fundraising supremacy.
  • “He…delivers for them exactly what they want…He’s really enabled the capture of Congress by big money and by corporate interests.” (Jane Mayer, 08:37)

5. Obstructing Reform and Social Progress

• Blocking Change:
  McConnell has consistently opposed and helped defeat campaign finance reform, climate legislation, gun control, and health care improvement.
  • “He takes money from all those industries, and…then kills the legislation that might move the ball forward.” (Jane Mayer, 09:18)
• Contrast with Lyndon Johnson:
  • “Lyndon Johnson at his best used the Senate rules to promote social justice. And…Mitch McConnell has used those rules to block it.” (Robert Caro via Jane Mayer, 09:44)

6. Judicial Power Plays

• Supreme Court Blockade:
  McConnell’s refusal to consider Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland, while later vowing to fill any vacancy under Trump, showcases naked political calculation.
  • “He is now saying…he will fill that seat right up to the bitter end…this could be our October surprise.” (Jane Mayer, 10:12)

7. Undermining Democratic Norms

• Democracy in Danger:
  Norman Ornstein describes McConnell as uniquely dangerous for eroding constitutional checks and balances.
  • “He has…completely weakened the Senate…He has really broken or deeply damaged our democracy.” (Jane Mayer referencing Ornstein, 10:59)
• Enabling Foreign Interference:
  McConnell’s refusal to credibly warn the public about Russian interference in 2016 contributed to Trump’s electoral victory.
  • “As a result, many people in the country…had no idea that the Russians were trying to target all 50 states elections.” (Jane Mayer, 15:21)

8. Family Divisions

• A House Divided:
  McConnell’s own daughters are staunch opponents of his politics and activism on progressive causes, reflecting personal and political tension at home.
  • “All three of [his daughters] seem to be not supporters of McConnell’s politics….There’s a level of disgust that McConnell has gone along with Trump.” (Jane Mayer, 12:35)

9. Kentucky, Coal, and Local Perceptions

• Mixed Local Reputation:
  Seen as a tool of big interests, McConnell is respected more for his national power than for any local affection or tangible benefits to Kentucky.
  • “He is seen…as representing the big interests in the state…His strength in the eyes of Kentucky voters is that…he’s in a position of power to help them. There’s frustration that he hasn’t done more for the state.” (Jane Mayer, 16:49)
• Environmental Disasters:
  In places affected by coal industry pollution, anger at McConnell’s inaction persists, but loyalty to Trump translates into continued electoral support for McConnell.

10. The 2020 Election and Amy McGrath’s Challenge

• Record-Breaking Fundraising:
  McGrath, a former Marine and moderate Democrat, raised more money than McConnell in the early stages of their high-profile Senate race.
  • “This race in Kentucky is going to be one of the highest spending races anybody’s ever seen….she had topped him.” (Jane Mayer, 18:20)
• National Stakes:
  McGrath’s support is fueled by a broad Democratic desire to remove McConnell from power.

11. Obama, Biden, and Kentucky Voters

• Potential Impact of Obama’s Endorsement:
  McConnell previously tied challengers to Obama, who was unpopular in Kentucky. Mayer posits Biden may have broader appeal to local voters, making this tactic less effective in 2020.
  • “There’s a kind of a non elite, non snobby, kind of pro working class feel to Biden that is comfortable to a lot of Kentucky voters.” (Jane Mayer, 19:59)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On McConnell’s Transformation:
  “It’s an out of body experience. To read the op ed [from 1973]…it’s all about the corrupting influence of big money and calls it a cancer in American politics…He knows better…and yet has spent his entire career enabling it.”
  — Jane Mayer (06:10)

• On Power for Power’s Sake:
  “Why is he doing this? It seems to be…his own just wanting power.”
  — Jane Mayer (06:10)

• On Senate Manipulation:
  “Lyndon Johnson at his best used the Senate rules to promote social justice. And as he put it, Mitch McConnell has used those rules to block it.”
  — Jane Mayer, quoting Robert Caro (09:44)

• On ‘Moscow Mitch’ and Election Interference:
  “That’s why he’s gotten the nickname Moscow Mitch, which he absolutely hates…it stuck to him in Kentucky where a lot of people have been wearing these hats that say ‘nyet Mitch.’”
  — Jane Mayer (16:15)

• On Amy McGrath’s Motivation:
  “I said to her, you know, wow, why did you want to take this on?...She said, ‘I’m a Marine. I don’t run from a fight.’”
  — Jane Mayer (18:49)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |:-------------:|:----------------------------------------------------------------------:| | 01:16 | Host’s introduction and premise setting | | 03:06 | Jane Mayer begins discussing McConnell-Trump relationship | | 05:53 | Early sign of McConnell’s reformist rhetoric contrasted with later actions | | 07:09 | “Money, money, money” blackboard anecdote | | 08:16 | Discussion of McConnell’s ties to big donors | | 09:44 | Comparison to Lyndon Johnson (Robert Caro quote) | | 10:12 | Supreme Court/Garland/Kavanaugh manipulations | | 10:59 | Ornstein’s judgment: “so dangerous in destroying…democracy” | | 13:42 | McConnell’s daughters and family rifts | | 13:56 | McConnell’s actions on Russian 2016 election interference | | 16:30 | McConnell’s standing in Kentucky, coal, and the Massey disaster | | 18:09 | Amy McGrath’s challenge and fundraising | | 19:59 | Biden, Obama, and Kentucky politics |

Conclusion

This episode provides a comprehensive look at Mitch McConnell: his evolution from a reform-minded politician to a master of political hardball, his key role in enabling Trump, and his profound impact on U.S. democracy and the Republican Party. Jane Mayer’s reporting is filled with depth and perspective, linking McConnell’s personal ambitions and family tensions to broader national themes of institutional decline and the corrosive power of money in politics. Despite fundraising and political challenges from Amy McGrath, McConnell's destiny remains intertwined with the fate of both his party and the country at large.