I have been watching the online ads and the debates and I have come to a question about Idaho’s senior US Senator. Why does Mike Crapo look so tired?
He has had a long political career. Thirty-eight years in elected office. He has dutifully climbed the ladder of Idaho Republican politics. First the Idaho state senate, then Congress, when a seat opened up. Then, the US Senate, when a seat opened up. He has been one of our US Senators since 1998. And he’ll be our Senator for six more years, maybe. Unless he’s too tired.
I can sure understand why he might be tired. I’m a couple years younger than him and the gymnastics he does would exhaust me.
His ads declare how opposed he is to Joe Biden. He might as well be wearing the t-shirt “Lets Go Branden”. But that would throw him into the MAGA camp. He’s walking the balance beam many Republicans are. And it’s hard. I get that.
Imagine how the current US Supreme Court weighs on him. Conservative Republicans have for years decried an “activist” court. But now they got one, through the contortions of a Republican Senate that he did the dance with, and now that court is picking cases to correct all the wrongs of previous activist courts, through its activism. That must weigh on those tired shoulders.
Imagine watching the subprime meltdown of 2007 from his seat on the Senate Finance Committee. All those people losing their homes and no Wall Street moguls going to jail, but instead voting for their bonuses. It must have been a real burden.
Imagine when he had a President a couple years back in his own party he has little respect for yet pulls all the political levers. His Senate seatmate Jim Risch was much more outspoken about his fealty to the mogul cum president. Mike was much farther back in the ass-licking line. But he stayed in line. And still is, unlike his fellow Mormon Senator, Utah’s Mitt Romney. Maybe Mitt’s example weighs on Mike. It would me. When I see courage in others that I know I should have, I don’t sleep well. I hope Mike is getting good sleep.
Mormons respect authority. At least, so I have observed. That must become tiresome when their honest and personal sense of morality is offended. I don’t have such constraints. I don’t respect authority. That too, can be tiresome.
Imagine sitting as a juror in two impeachment trials in the US Senate on a President’s actions that both clearly met the standard of crime. I believe Mike listened (while Jim Risch slept) to the damning testimony. I believe Mike had strong feelings about our former President’s actions. And I believe Mike decided to vote with his party. It is very tiresome to frame all one’s decisions in terms of a partisan slant. Especially when one is as bright as this man is. Yeah, I’ve been worn down by such decisions. Democrats can be crazy too.
So that brings us to the basic question. Why is this tired man asking us for another six years as Idaho’s senior US Senator? Is he expecting to be Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee when the Republicans claim the congress after November 8th? Does he have some vision for cleaning up our financial swamp? Does his belly burn to strengthen this trickle-down ship? Jeez, I wish he’d said that in his ads. He just looked tired.
I’ve seen this game played before in this lopsided state. Republican incumbents run for office, get reelected easily, then resign so their crony in the Governors office can appoint the next anointed public servant. I’m not predicting, just posing here. He looks tired. I don’t think we Idahoans know what the high mucky mucks have discussed over steaks in Boise.