Of all the congressional Republicans who’ve struggled with Donald Trump’s candidacy, arguably no one’s story is funnier than Sen. Mark Kirk’s (R-Ill.). The Illinois Republican endorsed Trump, then un-endorsed Trump, then endorsed David Petraeus, then endorsed Colin Powell, then un-endorsed Powell, then said he no longer wanted to talk about it.But if Kirk’s story is the most amazing, Sen. Mike Crapo (R) of Idaho is a competitive second. Slate reported yesterday:
In the hours after Donald Trump was revealed to have boasted that he would kiss women and “grab them by the p—y” without their consent, Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo was one of the earliest of a number of Republican political leaders to revoke their support for the GOP presidential nominee.”This is not a decision that I have reached lightly, but his pattern of behavior has left me no choice,” read a statement announcing Crapo’s apparently principled stand. “His repeated actions and comments toward women have been disrespectful, profane and demeaning.”Crapo has now had another change of heart.
Yes, the Idaho Republican initially endorsed Trump. Then Crapo un-endorsed Trump. Soon after, the incumbent senator, up for re-election this year, said he’s an undecided voter. Yesterday, Crapo came full circle, re-endorsing the presidential candidate he un-endorsed two weeks ago.The senator did not clarify yesterday whether or not it’s a decision he “reached lightly.”It’s worth noting that Crapo, representing one of the nation’s reddest red states, is considered a very safe bet for re-election, making his rhetorical contortions that much more difficult to understand.Nevertheless, I wonder if Crapo’s odd trajectory is a sign of things to come. With two weeks remaining before Election Day, most polls show Hillary Clinton with a stable national lead in the mid-single digits. Don’t be too surprised, however, if the margin starts to narrow a bit as some Republicans do exactly what Crapo did: run away from their party’s nominee in response to allegations of predatory behavior, only to run back as the finish line approaches.
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Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."