In an alternative universe, Mitch McConnell, who was genuinely outraged by the events of January 6, could have rounded up enough votes in his party to convict Trump and put an end to his political ambitions–forever. But he took the path of least resistance, and what did he get for it? Biden and the Democrats are looking extremely vulnerable, and Ron DeSantis is looking strong in the bullpen, but he has Trump campaigning against his candidates and working to replace him as the putative Majority Leader. To the extent the Democrats have much of a chance in 2022, it all revolves around Trump and his intense desire to relitigate the past. Was keeping the Trump votes on board on a temporary basis worth it?
In the end, the answer will be no, because the Trump voters had nowhere else to go, and would have come home in any event. If Mitch isn’t kicking himself, he should be.