House Republicans officially plunge into the abyss
Given how much of their caucus is rudderless, corrupt, even unhinged, House Republicans would have had a difficult time functioning in the majority even if they’d won a 25 or 30 seat lead in the midterms. Instead they’re entering this term with such a tiny majority, they’re probably wishing on some level that they hadn’t won it at all. Now today is the day that it begins to come due for them.
House Republicans will attempt to elect a Speaker today. The mere fact that the word “attempt” is involved is an indictment of the total lack of leadership within the House Republican caucus. Kevin McCarthy, the incumbent House Republican leader, doesn’t currently have the votes to become Speaker. There’s no indication that anyone else has the votes either.
Even if McCarthy does become Speaker today, he’ll have only accomplished it by formalizing a process whereby any five House Republicans can call a vote to oust him at any time. He was already going to be one of the weakest Speakers of all time, and this just sets him up to be completely powerless. McCarthy will be fighting to keep his job on a daily basis – if he even manages to land the job.
If McCarthy isn’t elected Speaker today, what happens? Does some other House Republican secretly have 218 votes lined up for today? Do Republicans fail to elect a Speaker at all today, and they enter into a stalemate until someone caves? Do House Democrats manage to cut a deal at some point with the five least extremist House Republicans to elect a compromise Speaker?
With this much built-in chaos, there are just too many variables. We’ll see what happens today. But this House Republican caucus is a bunch of extremists, protest candidates, unstable people, and outright idiots – and that’s before getting to the fact that one of its newest members, George Santos, is facing criminal charges in Brazil and potential extradition.
This historically awful group of House Republicans is simply not built to function as a majority. In the minority, they were able to simply stomp their feet, spread lies, behave hideously, and seek individual attention for themselves. But the House majority is expected to lead, to run things, to behave professionally and responsibly – and they’re simply not going to be able to do that. The clock starts today for the Democrats to retake the House in 2024.
