Long-shot McConnell Challenger Endorses Biden

Former Vice President Joe Biden received another endorsement ahead of Monday’s Iowa caucuses: Mitch McConnell’s Senate challenger Amy McGrath. McGrath has a reasonably high profile in the 2020 scene, and liberal pundits have elevated McGrath to give the public the false impression that she has a fighting chance to beat the most powerful legislator in Washington. Of course, the likelihood of McGrath defeating Leader McConnell is on-par with Beto O'Rourke's chances of winning the presidency.

Former Vice President Biden campaigned for McGrath in 2018 during her bid for Congress, in which she ultimately lost to Republican Andy Barr.

"Joe is the Democrat who can bring our country together, restore our reputation abroad, and bring real change to a nation torn apart by partisanship. We need that now more than ever," McGrath said in a statement.

McGrath’s endorsement of the former VP is curious. VP Biden is the antithesis of fresh leadership, which McGrath has called for in Washington, as Team Mitch reminded her:

The most memorable part of McGrath’s long-shot bid to unseat the most talented GOP majority leader in decades is her flip-flop on the nomination of Justice Brett Kavanaugh. In the span of one day, McGrath said she would have voted to support Kavanaugh and flipped to the opposite stance less than 12 hours later. McGrath was visibly unprepared for a question on the Justice’s nomination. Kavanaugh’s confirmation can be largely credited to the tactics of Leader McConnell, and Justice Kavanaugh’s confirmation fired up the GOP base, so for his challenger to be unprepared for a question on Kavanaugh’s nomination spoke to her preparedness for primetime, so to speak.

This endorsement is a morale boost for the former vice president as Bernie climbs in the polls, but will not give Biden any real, significant returns. This Senate contest is a reach, at best, for Democrats; it is still “likely Republican,” per Cook Political Report.

Before she faces Leader McConnell, McGrath has to emerge victorious from the the Democratic Primary on May 19.