# 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:** 30
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/581 "2023-01-04T16:41:27Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > It’s bad for America, probably, to have a putz like Jim Jordan as Speaker of the House, but if that’s what the GOP really wants I guess that’s where this ends up. But that’s sort of the point. It’s not “The GOP” who wants Gym Jordan, it’s a small group of radicals who want him. Even though McCarthy didn’t get enough votes to win, he got way more than the other GOP contenders. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/582 "2023-01-04T16:43:57Z")
Liz Truss: I led my party for 50 days. Kevin McCarthy: Hold my beer. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/583 "2023-01-04T16:46:40Z")
I agree in encouraging them to fight it out in public - that is exactly what the Democrats should do. Keep trolling them with the popcorn - I love it! They are spoiling their own slim victory - this should have been an easy layup but at this point they are only self-inflicting their own wounds, and I think those wounds are going to last a good long time. ---
**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 4, 2023, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/584 "2023-01-04T16:52:28Z")
Exactly. Democrats should force the GOP to reveal their true faces to the country. Democrats should refuse to give him any help. No adjournment for extra time to twist the arms of the Never Kevin’s. No staying home or voting present to reduce the denominator for the Speaker math. Let them reveal their dysfunction in public to the entire country. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/585 "2023-01-04T16:52:38Z")
Oh, I have little doubt of that (his retirement). He has been planning for this moment for years. To have it hijacked by nutjobs like Lauren Boebert and Matt Gaetz has to be infuriating. > [@Horatius](#): > > It’s not “The GOP” who wants Gym Jordan, it’s a small group of radicals who want him. But this is where we are now. The radicals have taken over the GOP, and they will not negotiate. They would rather not govern than give an inch to a “moderate” like Kevin McCarthy. It’s completely untenable for a political party, but until the radicals lose elections nothing will change. One thing the Democrats have for them is that while they have radicals, those radicals typically fear a challenge from the moderate side of the party, not from someone even more radical than they are. So it’s easier to keep them in the boat. GOP radicals have no fear of being primaried from the center, and their districts are so red they have no fear of being too extreme to win a general election either. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/586 "2023-01-04T16:53:03Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > They are spoiling their own slim victory - this should have been an easy layup but at this point they are only self-inflicting their own wounds, and I think those wounds are going to last a good long time. My hope is that a few of the GOP who aren’t yet entirely insane will finally, _finally_, jump ship from this disaster, and join the Democrats. At the end of the day, finding a way back to real bi-partisanship is the only hope for democracy in the US, and this just might be the crisis that puts them back on the path to fixing things. A faint hope, perhaps, but if it weren’t for faint hopes, we’d have no hopes at all. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/587 "2023-01-04T16:53:17Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > If the man struggles with counting this much, I don’t hold out much hope that he can actually read either. He’s not the only one who is math-challenged. This morning I saw reporters on two different networks say that McCarthy just needs to convince the Freedom Caucus who oppose him to not vote so that the threshold for winning will be lowered - completely ignoring the fact that McCarthy needs most of those votes to beat Jeffries. I guess math is not required for journalism majors… ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/588 "2023-01-04T16:56:36Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > McCarthy just needs to convince the Freedom Caucus who oppose him to not vote so that the threshold for winning will be lowered - completely ignoring the fact that McCarthy needs most of those votes to beat Jeffries. I guess math is not required for journalism majors… Oh my god, that would be the self-own cherry on top of the self-own sundae! Watching them backslap each other for having convinced their own to sit out so he can “win”, only to watch with dawning horror as they realize the Democrats haven’t registered their votes yet. As the numbers climb, the Reps get more and more frenzied. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/589 "2023-01-04T16:57:58Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > This morning I saw reporters on two different networks say that McCarthy just needs to convince the Freedom Caucus who oppose him to not vote so that the threshold for winning will be lowered - completely ignoring the fact that McCarthy needs most of those votes to beat Jeffries Oh man that’s bad. Maybe McCarthy saw the report and is taking that approach… Speaker Jeffries here we come! Looking down the road, I’m trying find a name that would get both the 20 Never-Kevins and not lose more than 5 moderate GOP reps. And I’m struggling to do so… Scalise will have the same issues McCarthy does. Jordan surely can’t get unanimity, even if McCarthy endorses him. It’s actually possible that some of the moderate GOP members jump ship before they sign up to a caucus led by Jordan. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/590 "2023-01-04T17:00:15Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > Oh my god, that would be the self-own cherry on top of the self-own sundae! Watching them backslap each other for having convinced their own to sit out so he can “win”, only to watch with dawning horror as they realize the Democrats haven’t registered their votes yet. As the numbers climb, the Reps get more and more frenzied. [![](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2016-07/22/13/asset/buzzfeed-prod-fastlane02/anigif_sub-buzz-31330-1469209227-2.gif) ](https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2016-07/22/13/asset/buzzfeed-prod-fastlane02/anigif_sub-buzz-31330-1469209227-2.gif) ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/591 "2023-01-04T17:05:14Z")
Although there is a path that includes some “Present” votes. Just not all 20. If he can get 10 of them to vote for him, and the other 10 to abstain, that would lower the threshold to 213. Jeffries will get 212. The 10 “abstainers” get to hold on their bomb-throwing bona fides, and take credit for whatever concessions McCarthy makes. So that’s probably the path forward for McCarthy. Session just started… quorum call from Stafanik (I think). ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/592 "2023-01-04T17:05:38Z")
> [@rocking\_chair](#): > > many ex republican representatives are saying that mccarthy will resign with in a year if he doesn’t become speaker. Hell, I bet that McCarthy resigns within a year if he **does** become Speaker. The lunatics will drive him out. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/593 "2023-01-04T17:07:09Z")
They’ve gavelled in for the day and Trump has backed McCarthy. That should ensure a decisive victory…for someone… > **[House without a speaker as McCarthy fails to secure majority in six rounds of...](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2023/jan/04/mccarthy-house-speaker-vote-republicans-trump-live-updates)** > > House adjourns until 8pm ET as Republicans remain deadlocked – follow all the latest politics news ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/594 "2023-01-04T17:09:10Z")
So, Jeffries has 212 votes. He only needs 6 more to win this thing. Allowing that the Republicans are, at this point, driven primarily by greed and lust for power, are there 6 of them who would jump ship if they were offered plum assignments and other inducements? “I don’t care if a pedophile democrat is in power, I’ve got mine!” At some point their crapulence has to start working in our favor, right? Right? ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/595 "2023-01-04T17:10:55Z")
They wouldn’t survive a primary after that. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/596 "2023-01-04T17:11:10Z")
I have to agree with this. I foresee about 7 or 8 Repubs, none of them Only-Kevins or Never-Kevins, a mix of experienced Congressmen and freshmen, basically coming to a consensus of “This is BS. Let’s vote for Jeffries. We may not get re-elected, but we got two years to change peoples’ minds. And they might forget, anyway. But at least we’ll get _something_ done.” So I’m a cock-eyed optimist. Don’t like it, write your Congressmen…heh. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/597 "2023-01-04T17:13:30Z")
This from the Guardian feed I linked to above: > [@](#): > > **Elise Stefanik** of New York, a member of Republican leadership, begins by making a point of order, that a quorum – sufficient attendance for a vote – is not present. > > And so a count begins, to see if at least 218 members are present, the total Kevin McCarthy needs to become speaker. Discussion groups form, the C-SPAN cameras showing Democrats and [Republicans](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/republicans) clustering and chatting around the ornate chamber. > > The chair counts 351 members, **Cheryl Johnson, the House clerk** , says – so that’s enough to begin with. Pretty sure 351\>218. Can _any_ Republicans count? ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/598 "2023-01-04T17:14:09Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > They wouldn’t survive a primary after that. Yeah, but if they do the math on how much they can steal in the next two years, maybe that’s not a big factor. Like I said, we only need 6. The question is, how many of them are ready to toss this nonsense, in exchange for 2 years of power? I suspect there’s at least a few. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/599 "2023-01-04T17:14:23Z")
Maybe, maybe not. Some of these guys come from districts where the average IQ hovers somewhere around room temperature, and collective memory is about on par with that. And if their representatives deliver to their districts some badly needed infrastructure (e.g. indoor plumbing) they might decide to forgive and forget. ---
**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 4, 2023, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/600 "2023-01-04T17:15:02Z")
here we go! some one shouted out for gallagher for speaker! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770.md?page=29) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770.md?page=31)