What would be an efficient way for a U.S. senator to gradually ruin their reputation, to destroy political capital that they’d carefully built up over years of being indecisive but acting thoughtful?

I guess three things come to mind fairly quickly.

1. Have a media team put out a statement expressing “concern” any time party leadership or the president does or says something you know is absolutely nuts, and know even most of your rank-and-file supporters probably also think is nuts.
2. Always have a spokesperson be the one who sends out lazy messages like the standard, “the senator is concerned …”
3. Never (and I mean never) appear before constituents at a “town hall” or an open-to-the-public event. (Parades are an exception, that’s more patriotic? All you need to be able to do is walk and wave, not too controversial.)

David Critchfield
South Portland