The 2010 race was an aberration, and it put the NRSC in an awkward position: Should it side with the GOP incumbent or the GOP nominee? Murkowski—despite having first come to the Senate controversially, as a 2002 appointment by her father, the state’s governor—is a native who knows the state’s issues, cares about the nitty-gritty things like casework, and is skilled at commandeering money for Alaska. But Miller was, by 2,006 votes, the party’s nominee…

Herein lies the fundamental tension between Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump: McConnell wants the candidate (he thinks is) most likely to win to be the nominee. Donald Trump wants the nominee to be the person who has demonstrated the most fealty to him.

These are not good choices given the races McConnell needs to win to become, once again, Senate majority leader. Looking at these Trump-endorsed candidates in Senate primary races, we’re left to wonder: “Where are all the good men dead—in the heart or in the head?”