# House Speaker Contest **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 12, 2022, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770 "2022-11-12T00:48:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/221 "2023-01-03T14:45:53Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > but my guess is that they have to do with the much talked about measure that any 5 representatives can call for a vote of no confidence in the Speaker whenever they want. I’ve always heard that they want any single representative to be able to demand a vote to vacate the Speaker’s position. If McCarthy accepts that, I give him maybe three months as Speaker. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/222 "2023-01-03T15:20:33Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > The article doesn’t specify what the demands were, but my guess is that they have to do with the much talked about measure that any 5 representatives can call for a vote of no confidence in the Speaker whenever they want. That’s a different situation than if those opposing him were Never Kevins who couldn’t be won over Would the five have to be from the majority party? ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/223 "2023-01-03T15:22:20Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Would the five have to be from the majority party? I forget the exact details, but yes, it was worded something like “from the conference that elected the Speaker” or some such thing. ---
**Author:** ![MulderMuffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldermuffin/32/2862_2.png) [@MulderMuffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MulderMuffin)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/224 "2023-01-03T15:29:26Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Would the five have to be from the majority party? Good question! I’ve wondered that myself, and concluded to myself that it must be the case, otherwise the MAGA crowd would have been trying to vote out Pelosi every other day. The next two years are going to be a shitstorm of a completely obstructionist House doing everything they can to derail anything the Senate sends their way while mugging for the cameras with all of the ridiculous “investigations” they’re planning to parade in front of us. It sincerely worries me. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/225 "2023-01-03T15:35:26Z")
> [@MulderMuffin](#): > > I’ve wondered that myself, and concluded to myself that it must be the case, otherwise the MAGA crowd would have been trying to vote out Pelosi every other day. This would be an unprecedented new rule. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/226 "2023-01-03T15:37:03Z")
(a) term limits _as members_ (as opposed to in institutional offices) would probably require constitutional action (b) renouncing challenging incumbents in the future, combined to the vacating motion, basically would render a Speaker politically powerless It adds up to “if you want to be Speaker SO bad, be our bitch, punk”. By being so obviously craving of the post he has forfeited respect. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/227 "2023-01-03T15:37:50Z")
> [@MulderMuffin](#): > > The next two years are going to be a shitstorm of a completely obstructionist House doing everything they can to derail anything the Senate sends their way while mugging for the cameras with all of the ridiculous “investigations” they’re planning to parade in front of us. It sincerely worries me. I think this has the potential to be very good for the Dems in 2024. It gives Biden and the Dems a boogey man to run against. This level of scumbaggery and obstruction won’t be the net positive these nutballs envision. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/228 "2023-01-03T15:50:07Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > Isn’t that actually good news for him? If he wants to be Speaker, all he has to do is accept those demands. There was a quote from a McCarthy ally in another article that summed it up — “We’re negotiating with jello.” Even if McCarthy says, “I accede to all your demands,” the Freedom Caucus will just “clarify” that their demands include other, unstated elements that they need to have guaranteed before they’ll vote for McCarthy. There’s no “getting to yes” with this squad through further concessions. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/229 "2023-01-03T16:10:32Z")
> [@MulderMuffin](#): > > mugging for the cameras with all of the ridiculous “investigations” they’re planning Hunter Biden Laptop 1 Hunter Biden Laptop 2 Hunter Biden Laptop 3 Hunter Biden Laptop 4 Hunter Biden Laptop 5 Hunter Biden Laptop 6… ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/230 "2023-01-03T16:16:59Z")
> [@MulderMuffin](#): > > mugging for the cameras with all of the ridiculous “investigations” they’re planning to parade in front of us. It sincerely worries me. One advantage of not having a Speaker is that those investigations can’t start. In fact, no House committee can do any business, including paying their staff. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/231 "2023-01-03T16:20:41Z")
[More drama](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/01/03/speaker-house-vote-mccarthy-new-congress/#link-K2HEBC5KNRC53N7REFUUGMOLE4) > [@WaPo](#): > > Rep. Mike D. Rogers (R-Ala.) said in the GOP conference meeting that members who oppose McCarthy should lose their committee assignments, according to a person in the room. But the detractors got more upset. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Tex.) stood to ask McCarthy to deny that would happen. McCarthy wouldn’t back down. Roy stormed off and said “you just sealed your fate.” It looks pretty unlikely to me that McCarthy will win today, and increasingly likely that the Republican disarray, some forty years in the making, is about to have a historical meltdown. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/232 "2023-01-03T16:47:19Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > It looks pretty unlikely to me that McCarthy will win today, and increasingly likely that the Republican disarray, some forty years in the making, is about to have a historical meltdown. Something has to give, and whoever ends up giving will lose a lot of face. There’s ways out of it, but some on the Republican side will get screwed over in the process, and those people are NOT going to be happy. ETA: Has the shitstorm officially started, or is it still 10 minutes away? ---
**Author:** ![MulderMuffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldermuffin/32/2862_2.png) [@MulderMuffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MulderMuffin)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/233 "2023-01-03T16:58:40Z")
> [@FlikTheBlue](#): > > ETA: Has the shitstorm officially started, or is it still 10 minutes away? Watching CSPAN right now. It hasn’t started quite yet. > [@WaPo](#): > > Roy stormed off and said “you just sealed your fate.” Juicy! I’m so torn. On the one hand, bring out the popcorn! I’m down for a hilarious cat fight. On the other hand I weep for the future of our country that it’s come to this. It might spell the doom of the radical Republicans, but it will drag us all down with them as they implode. ETA: looks like they’re getting ready to get started. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/234 "2023-01-03T17:23:49Z")
cnn’s john king just went through the various maths. this is going to be quite wild. i’ve got my lunch and i do indeed have popcorn should this go past my finishing lunch. i hope everyone went through the mags today. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/235 "2023-01-03T17:33:57Z")
here we go! ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/236 "2023-01-03T17:40:32Z")
I expect it’ll be fairly boring, since they have to rollcall every member, all 435 of them. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/237 "2023-01-03T17:47:57Z")
So after the first ballot fails does anyone know how it worksm going forward? Do they have some procedure for floor debate? Do they just keep on calling the roll to see if they get a different result? Do they close the session and say let’s try again tomorrow? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/238 "2023-01-03T17:48:29Z")
Hakeem Jeffries (D) just got nominated. One article I read said he’s got a good chance of getting more votes than McCarthy in the first round. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/239 "2023-01-03T17:49:47Z")
Looks like Gosar is about to nominate someone, I assume Biggs. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2023, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/240 "2023-01-03T17:49:49Z")
Andy Biggs just got nominated as well. Three-way vote for the first round! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770.md?page=13)