Democratic Strategist Says Maine Senate Race Upheaval is "A Moment for Everybody fo Take Lesson"

Welcome back to the Takeout. Welcome to the Takeout Tavern. That's not Apple Cider, folks, I assure you. Republican strategist Doug High and Democratic strategist CBS News contributor Joel Payne. All right, news flash out of Maine. Patrick Dempsey, otherwise known as McDreamy, not running for the Senate in Maine. He had to put out an op-ed because there is such a desperate need for someone not named Graham Platner who might have some appeal beyond standard political lanes in Maine that he had to let everyone know he's not going to run. Joel, give me your handicap on this current situation and what you think will happen in the next 48 hours. We're in a really good place. Look, obviously, there's a lot of egg on the face of lots of people related to Graham Platner. I think what's interesting is that- And Chuck Schumer saying, I told you so. Sure, but like Chuck Schumer also got behind a candidate who could not defeat a very- Janet Mills. Yeah, Janet Mills who could not defeat a clearly compromised candidate in Graham Platner. Graham Platner's people obviously didn't do the work of vetting. I actually think it speaks to a larger thing about the types of candidates that voters are looking for that they would go to a compromised candidate like this. Tells you a little bit something about the mood of the Democratic electorate and I think it's something that Democrats are just gonna really have to wrestle with because I know that people are trying to duck on each other in the middle and in the left of the party. I think it's a moment for everybody to take a lesson. Bottom line, is it a winnable seat anymore? I think it is winnable. Is it tougher? Sure. I mean, look, in a favorable environment, Sarah Gideon was not able to defeat Susan Collins. In a favorable environment, Shanna Bellows was not able to defeat Susan Collins. Both very traditional candidates. So, Platner trying something different, I think that there's wisdom in it. I still think it's winnable if Democrats can get beyond this process and circle behind one candidate. Doug, I want to talk to you about Kentucky because Andy Beshear, the Democratic governor, wrote a letter today saying, Senator McConnell, you owe Kentuckians. Not me, but me, but mostly Kentuckians, an explanation. Are you gonna return to the Senate? What is your health status? Let us in on this. You know, politics is a long game, so let's let's remember that Andy Beshear's father ran and lost against Mitch McConnell in 1996. Memories. So that letter has been a long time coming. Look, they're fair questions. It's a legitimate question. It's a legitimate question and it's a legitimate question not just because of the substance of what we've seen with McConnell in the past, but because of what we've seen with so many other members of Congress and senators in the past. And so, if I'm team McConnell, I want to put something out on video or a photo with a thumbs up rather quickly. It doesn't have to be a response how Beshear, Beshear doesn't get to dictate how McConnell responds, but McConnell and his team need to respond. I've got 20 minutes to talk to Mitch McConnell right now if he wants. Yes, right, 20 minutes. I'm glad you mentioned that because, Doug, there was a startling similarity in the way three different people described a conversation they said they had via telephone with Mitch McConnell. All said it was 20 minutes. All said it covered more or less the same topics. That read to me a little too compact and conveniently repetitive. You know, you always want everybody on the team to be on the same page. You just don't want them to memorize the exact same words on the exact same script. That can be a problem for you. And why is that? Because it raises questions about whether it's true or not. Of course. Hey, even in good health, if Mitch McConnell has 20 minutes to talk to Scott Jennings, I think Mitch McConnell has better things to do with his time, to be honest with you. There is a conversation. Maybe it's just in Washington, but obviously Governor Beshear, who has appointment powers, has to do a Republican because that's what the state legislature passed over his veto. Could Thomas Massey be the Republican who replaces Mitch McConnell if Mitch McConnell can no longer serve in the United States Senate? My understanding is it has to come from a list submitted by the state party. Okay. And in that case, I don't think Thomas Massey wouldn't be on that list. They wouldn't be promoting it unless it's a way to get him completely out of it and say, you can be a senator for three months and then you're done forever. Can I just pick up on something that Doug said a little bit earlier? I do think that like us here in DC and the people who kind of run this city, I think we got to get some religion about why are people, why is the gerontocracy holding on so much to power? And it's not a Republican or a Democratic party. Dianne Feinstein, the same thing happened with her years ago. Why do you think that is? I think it's because these people think that these seats belong to them and not to the people that they represent. And I think it's something, frankly, that folks in both parties got to get their arms around. It is not healthy, God bless Chuck Grassley, it's not healthy to have a 99 year old man in the Senate representing Iowans. It's not healthy to have someone who is compromised at this level like Mitch McConnell and it wasn't healthy to have Dianne Feinstein in the Senate. And the American people decided it wasn't a good idea for Joe Biden, who maybe does not have the type of severe health problems, but certainly did not show like someone who is vigorous. It's not healthy, it's not a good idea. Doug, pick up on that point. Look, it's hard for them to- Have you seen it on the Senate? Yeah, and it's hard for them to say no for a lot of reasons and part of it is, it's a very good life if you have the member pin. You are called sir or ma'am wherever you go. And if you're in the Senate, you have a vast staff that takes care of every single need you have. Absolutely, and basically the rules don't exist for you. And so why we see so many senators and members of Congress getting in trouble is because the rules don't exist to them, for them. So maybe they break them, even if they don't fully exist. But they go on CODELS, they travel the world. Some of that is work, some of it has a lot of empty time on their schedule to say, oh we have four hours of free time in Istanbul, but we're going to the bazaar. Who gets screwed? It's the family in Louisville, it's the family in Western Kentucky at Paducah, who doesn't have the type of representation that they deserve right now. Because they become increasingly inattentive? Yes, they become increasingly inattentive and, Major, these people, when people elect you to office, they trust you to have good judgment. It is not good judgment if you're not healthy to deal with issues of state and of politics when you can't be healthy, you can't be on your feet. Joel, you get the last word here at the Tavern. Thank you very much. Doug High, always good to have you here. Enjoy, my brothers.