But here’s the catch: Contrary to what a lot of mindless pundits would have you believe, it takes pretty much zero courage to criticize your fellow Republicans when you’re the governor of a state such as Maryland. That’s just rudimentary politics; Hogan actually couldn’t have won two statewide elections any other way. What takes real courage is to break with that party entirely, because you just can’t be in league with these people and still manage to sleep at night.

Hogan apparently doesn’t have that kind of courage. He chose, instead, to stay in a party whose zombielike spokespeople continue to berate him. And, if he wins, he’s apparently willing to give that party the crucial vote it needs to fill judicial vacancies and pass whatever nonsense Trump demands. Only a fool would think Hogan could remain in the Republican caucus and not capitulate on pivotal votes like those.

For all his defiance, when it really mattered most, Larry Hogan chose the path of party tribalism over the harder road of going it alone. Which is why I won’t vote to send him to the Senate, and why I’m guessing he’ll never get there.