“I truly think the threat of losing the filibuster was his driving light,” said Scott Reed, a veteran GOP strategist. “Remember Mitch always plays the long game.”

McConnell’s long game is well-established: Hammer Democrats for superfluous spending financed by taxing at a time when prices are already rising on everything from beef to lumber to gas. Throw up any possible roadblocks to slow their pursuit and pit Democrats against each other when there’s any signs of cracks in the coalition.

It’s this short-game that was more confounding to observers…

“This fight is such inside baseball, average Americans have no idea what’s happening,” said Frank Clemente, the executive director of Americans for Tax Fairness, which advocates for higher corporate taxes to pay for social investments. “I suppose it may have had some benefit with the Republican base, but I can think of 10 substantive issues that have more resonance with them. All for nought.”