When Roy Blunt stood up to give his farewell address in the U.S. Senate, there was no anger, bluster or “he-said-what?” moments.
“Missouri is where the country comes together. The north meets the south, the east meets the west,” he said on the Senate floor. “Finding someone on the other side to work with generates the most lasting results. You don’t have to agree on everything to work together. You just have to work on one thing.”
His remarks were thoughtful, principled and gracious — words that aren’t often associated with politics these days. Perhaps the former history teacher, who went on to serve two terms in the U.S. Senate, knows that history won’t be written in 280-character salvos.
It was hard to separate one of Blunt’s final Senate acts from the words and deeds of two other Republicans. On the same day as Blunt’s speech, Herschel Walker lost his runoff election for the U.S. Senate in Georgia. The result brings a merciful end to a seemingly endless campaign that at one point devolved into a monologue on the attributes of werewolves and vampires. People of Georgia: Enjoy the silence.
Speaking of silence, there is very little of it from former President Donald Trump, a man whose inability to get over his election defeat in 2020 has him advocating for the suspension of the Constitution. Those who try to explain it away should consider Trump’s own words: “A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution.”
Yes, big media and big tech dropped the ball on Hunter Biden coverage, but that doesn’t change the fact Republicans must consider someone other than Trump for president in 2024, both in terms of electability among swing voters and also due to fitness for office. A president is required to uphold the Constitution, not urge revisions to suit a personal preference.
What Republicans need is someone like… Roy Blunt.
Surely, the retiring senator doesn’t want anything to do with that. But Republicans would be wise to lean toward someone like Blunt who displays strong conservative convictions, an appreciation of free enterprise and a rule of law, advocacy for a strong defense and secure borders and a willingness to compromise on occasion. His recent vote in support of legislation cementing federal protection for same-sex marriage shows an ability to moderate previously held views as society changes, an admirable trait.
He also was strong on the face-to-face aspect of politics, appearing in these parts more than 50 times and advocating for such locally important issues as levee repair, air base funding and money for mental health.
While we don’t expect to see much more of Blunt, we would hope to see more like him.
