Simply addressing your first quote it seems quite reasonable to me. He isn’t exactly speaking in txt msg and seems very well spoken. Compare that sentence to something someone on the extreme left would say (i.e. “He lied to us! He prayed on our fears!!” a la Algore).

It’s an opinion piece: scoundrels are ascendant means that democrats have been elected. Calling the likes of Pelosi and Murtha scoundrels is his personal opinion and one shared by many. You’re reading too much into this and adding your own bias.