I rarely predict election outcomes but I’ve declared Dr. Senator Bill Cassidy a dead man walking many times during his second term. It was obvious to anyone with eyes and ears that Cassidy was doomed except for the candidate himself. The death knell tolled when The Clownfish pushed through legislation establishing closed party primaries for federal races. The target was Bill Cassidy. It worked.
The national media is spinning Cassidy’s third place finish as a victory for the Insult Comedian. That’s partially true but it also shows how shallow Cassidy’s support was: the incumbent ran 20 points behind Julia Letlow. Jeff Landry was the other winner; he’s not crowing louder because his cult leader did a typically tacky victory dance:
“Bill Cassidy, after falsely using his ‘relationship’ with me during his political career, and winning Elections because of it, voted to impeach me on preposterous charges that were fake then, and now, are criminally insane! His disloyalty to the man who got him elected is now a part of legend, and it’s nice to see that his political career is OVER!”
Cassidy was first elected to the senate in 2014 when Trump was still hosting The Celebrity Apprentice. This truth social rant was typical of the lies that flew around this campaign like flies circling shit.
The defeated candidate showed more gumption than usual in his concession speech:
“Let me just set the record straight: Our country is not about one individual. It is about the welfare of all Americans and it is about our Constitution. And if someone doesn’t understand that and attempts to control others through using the levers of power, they’re about serving themselves. They’re not about serving us. And that person is not qualified to be a leader.”
Too little too late. Cassidy spent his entire campaign fluffing Trump. It was never going to work. Cassidy humiliated himself for no reason whatsoever. That’s the mark of a bad politician and a weak human being.
Cassidy’s campaign was about delivering for the Gret Stet of Louisiana. Cassidy *did* vote for the Biden infrastructure bill, so he hoped to revive memories of Louisiana senators who delivered for their constituents: Russell Long, Bennett Johnston, John Breaux, and Mary Landrieu. All were centrist or conservative Democrats who brough home the bacon. Since he defeated Landrieu in 2014, Cassidy should have known that ideology not delivery is what matters most now to Gret Stet GOPers.
Cassidy’s political philosophy can be summed up in two words: Wishful thinking. He thought that unleashing Bobby Junior on the country would score points with the Kaiser of Chaos. It didn’t work. Nothing worked for the feckless incumbent. It’s what happens when a candidate lacks core beliefs. The MAHA complicity, it burns.
Unlike many other MAGA maggots, Cassidy is not a bad man. He’s a weak man who damaged the medical profession he claims to revere. That’s one reason moderate voters refused to change their registration to no party so they could vote for him. Why bother, when the candidate blows with the wind and the prevailing Gret Stet breeze comes from wingnuts such as Trump, Landry, Scalise, and Johnson.
Dr. Senator Cassidy deserved to lose but I’m not celebrating. Either Letlow or Fleming will be a worse and more sycophantic MAGA Republican senator. Letlow is favored to win the run-off and has more money to spend than Fleming. I wouldn’t rule him out: Cassidy outspent Letlow 4 to 1. In the end, he had more wallet than will.
Bill Cassidy’s political epitaph was written by James Carville: “Bill Cassidy sold his soul to the devil and he didn’t get anything for it.”
Repeat after me: Appeasement never works.
The last word goes to Robert Johnson: