Republican U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton’s Twitter feed was interesting last night.
He specifically congratulated Todd Young, whom Cotton had campaigned for in Indiana, but never directly cheered the Donald Trump victory. He did congratulate the “American people,” saying, “Elections are not about candidates; they’re about us and our shared destiny.”
Finally, this morning he retweeted a Donald Trump message: “Such a beautiful and important evening! The forgotten man and woman will never be forgotten again. We will all come together as never before.”
Cotton had been positioning for a run for president in 2020 in anticipation of a Trump defeat. He enjoys strong support from many Republicans (think Bill Kristol) who abhorred Trump. He kept his powder dry on Trump — never opposing but hardly cheerleading. Perhaps he’ll continue to be careful. A battle within the Republican Party seems likely in the years ahead. Trump’s personal life holds many complications that could complicate his presidency.
But for now, you’d have to say this Tom Cotton was a loser Tuesday night.
He’s still a young man in a hurry. But he might have to slow down a bit