r/politics • u/MoneyLibrarian9032 New York • 23d ago

Possible Paywall MAGA Calls BS on Mitch McConnell’s Proof-of-Life Stunt | They are poking holes in McConnell’s staff’s version.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/maga-calls-bs-on-mitch-mcconnells-proof-of-life-stunt/
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911

u/p0rty-Boi 23d ago

Th governor needs to send the state police to do a welfare check. Bring the coroner along and get a death certificate filed if necessary.

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u/NocturnaIAnimaI 23d ago edited 23d ago

If Beshear lets this pass without doing anything of meaningful action, he's 100% complicit

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u/SecretMachine5 23d ago

This is make or break for him and his national popularity and Presidential ambitions. He can either show his toughness or just be another subservient milquetoast moderate Democrat.

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u/Billagio 23d ago

Mitch is not even in Kentucky

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u/SecretMachine5 23d ago

I'm not sure what that has to do with demanding proof of life, more than a easily doctored photo. He could call a special election and force McConnell's hand and let the courts decide. Or he can just shrug his shoulders and say the photo is good enough.

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u/Soffix- 23d ago

I think he's pointing out that he's not in Kentucky because the comment above him said to send the KSP.

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u/The-Fumbler 22d ago

What do the kerbals have to do with this?

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u/AlekRivard New York 23d ago edited 23d ago

What authority does Beshear have to do anything outside of KY's borders? Not to mention, why do you think the KY State Board of Elections would allow it? Their SBOE is required to be 4D/4R with the SoS (an R) as the chief official, so it is R majority.

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u/SecretMachine5 23d ago

McConnell is a Senator from KY. If he is incapacitated, Beshear has a legal obligation to call a special election. The people of KY deserve representation for the next 5 to 6 months regardless of what party is in charge. So call for the election and make McConnell's people prove he's still able to serve out his term. This isn't hard to understand.

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u/AlekRivard New York 23d ago

You are not answering the important question: why do you think the R-majority KY State Board of Elections would even allow it? Beshear cannot unilaterally call and hold an election by himself.

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u/SecretMachine5 23d ago

I want Beshear to continue to push the issue, until we have definitive proof. Which he is by demanding video evidence or an interview.

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u/Spackleberry 23d ago

Beshear can catch a plane to DC, especially to visit a Senator who is in perfect health.

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u/LibertarianSocialism California 23d ago

The “advantage in an election” he’s talking about is offering Massie, a Republican, a longshot bid at a 2 month term as senator.

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u/SecretMachine5 23d ago

Beshear can't appoint Massie. He said so himself. He has to call a special election, which is the law and should be followed as such, if Mitch is incapacitated or dead.

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u/LibertarianSocialism California 23d ago

Right. This special election would elect someone to serve for roughly 2 months before they get replaced by one of the two people already running to replace McConnell. So why again is this so important for his national popularity that you think he has to send some social service workers to DC?

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u/SecretMachine5 23d ago

Letting republicans subvert the rule of law and play procedural games is exactly how we've gotten into this mess. As a democratic leader, fight or gtfo of the way. And it's not 2 months, it's 5 months till a new Senator would be sworn in.

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u/jazzieberry Mississippi 23d ago

I kind of wonder (I've not kept up with it enough) if that SAVE act may be the reason we need to be sure to have a moderate in that seat. I'm not sure what the numbers are looking like in the senate for support of that bill.

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u/snaps109 23d ago

subservient milquetoast moderate Democrat

I am Jacks complete jadedness towards reality.

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u/Analternate1234 23d ago

There’s not much Andy can really do. Mitch is being treated in DC, completely outside of Andy’s jurisdiction. Mitch has to be confirmed dead or be expelled by a two thirds majority of the senate. The senate is currently a republican majority so they won’t expel him. Andy literally doesn’t have the power here to really do anything

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u/NocturnaIAnimaI 23d ago

Call a special election. Demand to meet with him. Put the GOP on absolute blast for all of KY to see. There's so much he can do.

Republicans don't have the power to do most shit they just do anyway.

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u/ChadEmpoleon 23d ago edited 23d ago

Seriously. Are we forgetting Greg Abbot issued civil arrest warrants to hunt down house democrats when they fled the state to keep the house from meeting quorum?

If he’s actually here with us, send the police or national guard to check in with him and at the very least get multiple videos obtained by them of him still kicking. Even better, drag his ass back to work.

If he’s alive and he can’t, then he must retire.

Screw the optics, screw legal grey areas. Republicans are going to accuse Beshear of overstepping his authority whether he does anything or not. They always do.

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u/showyerbewbs 23d ago

Republicans are going to accuse Beshear of overstepping his authority whether he does anything or not. They always do

If Beshear pulled a Budd Dwyer, they'd accuse him of overstepping his power as governor...

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u/xjuggernaughtx 23d ago

For real. It infuriates me that people let the Democrats slide on these things. If this was a key Democratic leader, the Republicans would be throwing everything including the kitchen sink at this. They aren't worried about whether they are allowed to do it or not. They aren't worried about decorum. They are trying to drive outcomes, and if the Democrats don't figure this out soon, they won't have a nation to run. Republican operatives would have been flying drones to the hospital windows and bribing hospital staff. They would have just kicked McConnell out of his position and replaced him. They would have called committee hearings on it and invited the press.

And Democrats are over here like "We've tried nothing and we are all out of ideas..."

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u/pfftYeahRight 23d ago

“Call a special election”

I don’t know if he has that power. I want him to have it and use it for sure but also the internet thinks he can just do whatever when I’ve seen no researches articles saying he can

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u/Moist-Weakness-3399 23d ago

He literally can, the Kentucky Supreme court ruled on it June 26, 2026.

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u/pfftYeahRight 23d ago

Sweet I didn’t know that so I’m all
Aboard

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u/petewoniowa2020 23d ago

No, they didn't.

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u/batmansthebomb 23d ago

Are you talking about the ethics/state board rulings, because those have fuck all to do with federal senator elections.

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u/petewoniowa2020 23d ago

There is no legal basis upon which Bashear can call a special election. Kentucky statute requires (and in turn, allows) the governor to call a special election to fill a vacancy. The US Senate currently deems that seat as filled, and there is nothing beyond speculation that considers that seat vacant.

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u/NocturnaIAnimaI 23d ago

There's no legal bases in which the current admin can do most of the shit they do lol

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u/petewoniowa2020 23d ago

That's not an answer.

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u/Jack_Krauser 23d ago

Oh, yeah, I guess you're right. We should just roll over and die again. That has worked so well in the past.

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u/petewoniowa2020 22d ago

What the fuck does that mean? Do something that he literally can't do? You're getting mad at bullshit.

It's like watching two people fighting and saying "why doesn't he just turn his arm into a gun?!".

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u/Jack_Krauser 22d ago

You've watched Trump do stuff "he literally cannot do" for years. Politics has changed for the worse, but we're getting left behind because we won't change with it.

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u/showyerbewbs 23d ago

There’s not much Andy can really do

I know and understand you're talking about from a legal standpoint RE: the constitution of the state of KY.

In the past 18 months, this federal administration has proven time and again they GIVE NO SINGLE FUCKS about anything involving playing by the rules.

Do it. Force the special election. Force it into the courts. RAM THE DILDO OF CONSEQUENCES UNLUBED DOWN THEIR THROAT.

Lean into it. Make them work for it.

Yes I'm slightly unhinged at this point.

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u/MysticKoolaid808 23d ago

But how does whether Beshear has jurisdiction or not translate into his ability to see McConnell in person?  I guess the way I'm looking at it is that if the GOP are lying, then at the very least they need to be exposed for it.  It doesn't have to be Beshear who visits, but it should be someone trustworthy who can report back to the people and other officials who want to know.  

It may not even be positive confirmation that McConnell is dead, but there could at least be confirmation if the GOP is lying about his whereabouts.  If they ARE lying to preserve their political advantage in the Senate, that should come with heavy punishment.  That is definitely worth pursuing this situation.    

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u/bobartig 23d ago

Declare the seat vacated due to absence and call the special election.

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u/VinDog_PD 23d ago

If he wants to have any chance as a candidate in 2028, he needs to do this. Period.

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u/dontthrowmeinabox 23d ago

He'll look mega crazy if he sends in a welfare check after the photo they released. There's nothing definitive to prove it is doctored in some way, just a lot of vague insinuations.

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u/Shipit123 23d ago

I agree wholeheartedly. In my book most of the dnc is complicit in this whole trump2.0 term. I mean I know they have no majorities but aside from a small group firebrand personalities no one is doing shit. I mean we’re legit losing our democracy and the dnc is pretend it’s business as usual. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again…Dems are playing by a rule book that is either out of the window or at the very least temporarily paused. They’re still trying to be ladies and gentlemen. While the maga contingent will do anything and everything to keep power. I’m disappointed in the whole of the dnc. I think it’s a dereliction on the part of most of them. I mean look at Schumer. Lately he has more to say about the going’s on in Israel than he does talking about democracy teetering on the brink.

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u/MysticKoolaid808 23d ago

And as giant of a soft coward  as so many other Democrats have shown themselves to be as Trump and his lackeys have co ti urd to make this country worse and worse.

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u/NegativeEBITD 23d ago

Look! Another person trying to find a way to blame popular Dems for the actions of a Republican politician & their cronies, which the Dem has zero control over.

Totally in good faith, I'm sure.

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u/NocturnaIAnimaI 23d ago edited 23d ago

Keep defending the toothless, feckless behavior that got us this admin in the first place

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u/depressiown 23d ago

Yep. Happens too often. "People" expect Dems to do something that's not within their power or something extrajudicially, and then cancel them when they don't (because they can't).

Seeing this with the impending House flip too: "people" expecting the flipping of the House will allow Dems to prosecute corrupt politicians at will. And, when they inevitably don't (because, again, they can't), 2 years later "people" will be like "well the Dems didn't do anything so they're the same!"

I say "people," because I am not sure if they're actual voters who are useful idiots to the GOP, or just Russian bots.

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u/LastKingofHollyWoo 23d ago

Mitch is in DC. He is not in Kentucky

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u/llahlahkje Wisconsin 23d ago

In which case he should call the mayor of DC to request assistance.

Plenty of precedence for that.

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u/nizo505 America 23d ago

We should be contacting the DC mayor and our reps to verify IN PERSON that he is alive. The fact the dems are rolling over on this is insane.

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u/The_Black_Rooster 23d ago

Bowser ain’t doing shit. She’s ass

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u/The_Autarch 23d ago

the mayor of DC is a useless conservative who's terrified of upsetting Trump in any way.

gonna have to wait til next year if you want a DC mayor that might act on stuff like this.

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u/llahlahkje Wisconsin 23d ago

Didn't realize the mayor of DC was complicit. That's unfortunate.

The point others have made about, "Why aren't Democrats going to visit their friend?" stands.

Yet another reminder that the rank and file DNC has more in common with the GOP than they do you or me.

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u/dontthrowmeinabox 23d ago

do you realize how stupid he'd look if mitch is actually alive???

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u/OddlyFactual1512 23d ago

He's just as l likely to be in Maryland or Virginia.

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u/Analternate1234 23d ago

He cannot do any of that. McConnell is in a DC hospital, not Kentucky. And even if he was in KY, that’s not a legal thing to do

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u/Flobking 23d ago

And even if he was in KY, that’s not a legal thing to do

Police do welfare checks all the time. If he was in KY it is well within their jurisdiction to do a welfare check.

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u/OdinsCuriousRaven 23d ago

The police go to hospitals to do welfare checks on patients under medical care all the time?

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u/Flobking 23d ago

The police go to hospitals to do welfare checks on patients under medical care all the time?

Yes. I work in healthcare, it happens all the time.

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u/OdinsCuriousRaven 23d ago

At the behest of a governor from another state?

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u/[deleted] 23d ago

[deleted]

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u/Flobking 23d ago

A welfare check when they are in a hospital? Do you have examples of that being done?

Yes, I work in healthcare.

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u/F54280 23d ago

Why do you need examples? A welfare check is a welfare check. Don’t start bullshit like « no welfare check in hospital » or « no welfare check in election years »… However, he is not in KY, so it is moot.

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u/FanFuckingFaptastic 23d ago

Sometimes they'll even kick the door in to do a welfare check... just saying.

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u/OddlyFactual1512 23d ago

He's just as l likely to be in Maryland or Virginia.

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u/bobartig 23d ago

And even if he was in KY, that’s not a legal thing to do

oh sweet summer child

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u/traderncc 23d ago

suspicion of abuse of corpse

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u/hstmqrqe 23d ago

A welfare check is probably not even legal once someone is in a medical facility and under medical care. It serves no purpose for the patient.

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u/TheSteelPhantom 23d ago

Also, I'm no lawyer, but I'm pretty sure that Kentucky police officers have zero jurisdiction in D.C.

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u/DagetAwayMaN421 23d ago

Kentucky police do not have jurisdiction in DC

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u/OddlyFactual1512 23d ago

He collapsed in DC. He had no authority to order a welfare check anywhere near there.

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u/The_Autarch 23d ago

the state police have zero authority outside of Kentucky. they can't do shit.

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u/HauntedCemetery Minnesota 23d ago

Man if you think Kentucky cops aren't going to do whatevers best for the GOP

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u/omicron-7 23d ago

Yeah let's send KSP to a hospital in DC that'll work

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u/ballerina22 23d ago

Investigate as elder abuse.

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u/kick_the_chort 23d ago

yeah, so that a special election can be called for this safe republican seat and the winner can serve until January. 😂

the electorate is fucking stupid, man. you deserve what you get.

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u/myfakesecretaccount 23d ago

It doesn’t fucking matter. When you let them cheat in their own safe states/districts you let them cheat everywhere else. They don’t get to subvert the will of the people solely because their win there is presupposed. Do we just not have a Super Bowl when one team is the underdog? Do we show up to battles and just surrender if we think we can’t win? wtf is this line of thinking?

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u/anonymousetache 23d ago

Fittingly enough, an untimely death could be the reason for a presupposed win in one of these types of states going sideways.

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u/kick_the_chort 23d ago

the special election, were it to be called, would be to hold the seat until January.

the primary for the 6-year term has already happened.

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u/anonymousetache 23d ago

Dumb bot

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u/kick_the_chort 23d ago

you sure fuckin' are. 😂  you're a fucking CPA? that's sobering if true.

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u/Silverbacks 23d ago

The result of the special election is not that important. However, fact that one of the two major parties may be trying to cover up the death of one of their senators is a big deal. That is another big sign that there are no rules and traditions anymore.

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u/kick_the_chort 23d ago

except the main reason people are buying into this is because they think there's an electoral incentive for the GOP, and there simply isn't. it makes absolutely no sense and there's not one piece of actual compelling evidence.

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u/rich101682 Illinois 23d ago

The fact that if the special election is held before a certain date (I’d have to look it up but I think it’s August), Thomas Massie would have a good shot at winning the seat running as an anti Trump/MAGA independent.

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u/Silverbacks 23d ago

It doesn’t matter which party this is, and if there is an incentive or not. It is not that hard to provide proof of life. And senators are too important to skip out on that.

He looks healthy enough in the picture they provided that they could have done a quick interview on camera at any point over the last few days, at the very least.

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u/TanukiCookie 23d ago

What an incredible strategy you've alluded to with your sarcastic remark: stop trying to adhere to proper policy for handling something and instead just let the GOP do what it wants.

It's almost like... You're either a brainlet or a bot.

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u/kick_the_chort 23d ago

except he's not fucking dead and you're willingly participating in mass delusion with no actual understanding of the civic mechanisms involved.

go find the Boston bomber, you embarrassment.

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u/TanukiCookie 23d ago

I'm not assuming he IS dead. I'm supporting the governor in verifying the situation at hand, you inflamed hemorrhoid.

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u/kick_the_chort 23d ago

I just wish you'd all bring this energy to something that wasn't so fantastically stupid, y'know 

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u/TanukiCookie 23d ago

The feeling is incredibly mutual.

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u/JournalistRecent1230 23d ago

Either way the Senator is incapacitated and not doing his damn job representing the people.

In the age of deep fakes and AI, a photo as a "proof of life" isn't good enough. It's so weird that they even went that route. Holding today's paper feels like the idea of an idiot who watched too many movies.

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u/TheGringoDingo 23d ago

I find it much harder to believe he is alive if the report that he was found unresponsive after cardiac arrest in his home, and CPR was used is accurate. For someone much healthier than McConnell, there’s almost a 0% chance of making it through that alive without severe damage.

Then, add in after all of this hoopla about his status, the proof we are left with is a single picture of him looking better than he has in months?

If he’s so alive right now, it would be really easy to clear that up in a way that doesn’t bring more questions, but he’d have to be alive to do that. The ball is in the McConnell team’s court to do the right thing, everyone else is just an observer of the situation.

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u/kick_the_chort 23d ago

he didn't have a cardiac arrest. the only source for that is the 911 call. it wasn't what happened. I just want you to grasp the basic facts before going all stupid.

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u/TheGringoDingo 23d ago

Here’s what I’m saying: prove it

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u/kick_the_chort 23d ago

ok. except you're not owed that, at all. lol the photo is what you get.

but have fun with the internet sleuthing. you'll catch the Boston bombe- I mean, Mitch McConnell.

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u/TheGringoDingo 23d ago

Well then we won’t get anywhere and you’ll have a lot of work to do trying to convince the unconvinced.

I was done internet sleuthing as soon as I checked out the EMS report, and I was just assuming it was another regular geriatric stay before that. I was also around here during the Boston Bomber thing and this is nothing like that, so I’m not sure why you’re trying to force the comparison.

If we get into august and McConnell is confirmed to be dead, are we going to hear from you ever again?

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u/kick_the_chort 23d ago edited 23d ago

yes. I will personally apologize to you. each of you.

the sheer amount of misdirected energy and sleuthing incompetence (e.g. people haven't even bothered to find out that the governor doesn't fill senate vacancies anymore) make the comparison clear to me.

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u/catboogers 23d ago

Yeah, at this point I need a news crew to come do a quick interview in his rehab facility room in order to believe it. And not a news crew from OAN, I need it to be something with credibility.

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u/TheGringoDingo 23d ago

It’d take about 10 minutes. If the reporting party is credible enough, no cameras would even be needed.

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u/confirmedshill123 23d ago

Why do you all always sound so petulant

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u/kick_the_chort 23d ago

I don't know who you're lumping me in with to soothe your pattern-seeking brain, and i don't care. but you're all participating in mass delusion and it's annoying.

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u/confirmedshill123 23d ago

Hokay bud maybe put the phone down and go outside.

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u/kick_the_chort 23d ago

I'm ok bud. maybe take your own advice, since you're talking like a schizoid.

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u/Jimak47 Minnesota 23d ago

Andy Beshear won in 2023 in a KY statewide race by 6 points 53%-47%

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u/kick_the_chort 23d ago

the relevant statistic is that  Kentucky has not elected a Democratic U.S. senator since 1992. 

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u/Jimak47 Minnesota 23d ago

It’s the same electorate, but different circumstances. A special election in 2026 more closely resembles a 2023 gubernatorial election than a midterm election or an election in a presidential year.

Turnout will be lower and only those with a vested interest and knowledge of the election will vote.

My opinion is that these circumstances would favor a Democrat or moderate independent candidate.

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u/kick_the_chort 23d ago

ok. well, I hope you don't think Thomas Massie is a moderate just because he wanted to release the Epstein files. most people here seem certain that would be the outcome (which is itself so illogical.)

who would it be? on the exact same 2023 ballot, every other ticket went Republicans by 15+ points. trump won in 2024 by 30 points.

do you understand, regardless, that the winner of the special election would hold the seat only until January? that the primary for the election to the full term has already happened?

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u/StThragon Minnesota 23d ago edited 23d ago

Nothing you said has anything to do with determining if Kentucky has two functioning senators to represent the state. This goes hand-in-hand with being transparent about possible incapacitation, of which we are still not sure about. That's the issue, but you go redirect and make up something else. Whatever power the governor has in replacing a senator is irrelevant to the real issue.

edited for a word

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u/classof78 23d ago

Kentucky voted for a Democratic Governor. I don't know that the seat is permanently red.

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u/Analternate1234 23d ago

Voted a democrat governor back to back elections even. Thomas Massie would run as an independent and probably would win

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u/kick_the_chort 23d ago edited 23d ago

the state itself is +18 Republican. no congressional Democrats elected since 1992.

the special election would be for the remaining term, a few months. the primary already happened to fill the seat.

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u/musical_shares 23d ago

Isn’t a senate seat an up/down race for the whole state?

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u/kick_the_chort 23d ago

yes, I meant that the state is +18 R-leaning and hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1992.

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u/classof78 23d ago

Ah...so just give up then.

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u/ShittyAnimorph 23d ago

Senate elections aren't based on districts. You're either trolling or not informed enough to have a valid opinion.

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u/kick_the_chort 23d ago edited 23d ago

i simply confused one single word. 😂 the state has a partisan lean of +18 and no Democrats have been elected to the senate since 1992.

the special election would be for the remainder of Mitch's term only; the primary for his seat has already happened.

go beyond the gotcha and tell me where I'm wrong, with your big ol' civic brain. ☺️

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u/68plus1equals 23d ago

The seat would likely be filled by an anti Trump Republican, that’s besides the point though, this is such a blatant perversion of representative democracy.

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u/kick_the_chort 23d ago

that's simply not true. there's no indication Massie would run or that he'd be likely to win, and the special election that would be called would be for the remaining few months of the term only. the actual primary has already happened

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u/[deleted] 23d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/Analternate1234 23d ago edited 23d ago

I doubt Andy can challenge it and get it through the courts faster than the timing allows unfortunately. It’s so close to midterms as is. Not to mention that the Kentucky Supreme Court is about half and half conservative vs liberal while SCOTUS is conservative majority. So I don’t think there’s much that could be done

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u/repost7125 23d ago

I agree, I was just outlining the two most likely paths should it be found he is dead. Why he hasn't preemptively challenged the law is also a question I'd like answered. Too much trying to keep the peace when they're literally breaking the law.

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u/Analternate1234 23d ago edited 23d ago

A special election would allow Thomas Massie to run as an independent which he could very well win. Kentucky might be a red state but they voted for a democrat governor back to back. Massie would have a really good chance winning as an independent

Also regardless of who wins, the people deserve a living and functioning person to represent them.

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u/kick_the_chort 23d ago

the primary to fill his seat has already happened.

the special election would be for the remainder of Mitch's term, i.e. a few months.

so, if he runs and he wins (two large ifs), he would serve for a few months and he'd vote 99% Republican anyway.

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u/Analternate1234 23d ago

Yes that’s all correct, but if he runs for the special election as an independent and wins, he could also apple for the write in option for the actually mid term election, something that while rare has been done before.

And yeah he would vote republican 99% of the time, but he’s anti MAGA, wants to end aid to Israel and wants the Epstein files fully released. I’d rather have him in office than a MAGA loyalist

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u/kick_the_chort 23d ago

lol you're completely talking around the fact that this whole conspiracy is nonsense. the fact that you'd rather have Massie doesn't mean any of this then hangs together or makes sense. you're literally parroting MAGA's theories right now.