# 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:** 34
**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 4, 2023, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/661 "2023-01-04T17:55:47Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > [Former Michigan Republican Congressman Fred Upton (Kate’s uncle!), who voted to impeach Trump after January 6 and retired when his district was combined with another Republican’s, is not opposed to serving as a compromise candidate.](https://thehill.com/homenews/3798233-fred-upton-talk-of-speaker-candidacy-is-intriguing/) He said he’d offer Dems equal representation on all committees as a sweetener for their support. > > Now, I’m not saying this is gonna happen, but it’s an interesting possibility. And speaking as a Democrat from Michigan, Upton’s not that bad. I could take this. Yes, he’s a Republican, but he’s not heinous. My congressional district was the one that was merged with his district during redistricting, and he opted not to get into a primary fight with my (shitbird) Congressman. I was actually hoping he would get into the primary, as I would much rather have him as my Congressperson than Bill Huizenga. > > I imagine every recently-retired moderate Republican is having stories done in their local papers about how they’d be a great compromise candidate right now, so I’m not reading too much into this. Now Andrea Mitchell and a talking head are discussing the Fred Upton possibility on MSNBC. ---
**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, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/662 "2023-01-04T17:57:02Z")
Sounds like the Republicans thought Donalds is “The Donald”. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/663 "2023-01-04T17:58:56Z")
Don’t kid because I’m sure by the 17th ballot someone will put Donald Trump’s name in 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 4, 2023, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/664 "2023-01-04T18:00:05Z")
I wonder if the 20 will keep cycling through a different one of them each time. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/665 "2023-01-04T18:00:33Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > governing comes in a very distant third Like this? “policy as a far, far diminished priority” [![](https://preview.redd.it/senator-fivehead-wants-to-impeach-biden-for-what-exactly-v0-unhrmgmx4gq91.jpg?auto=webp&s=452a6906eadeba935c0552dbad78009a0f45d910) ](https://preview.redd.it/senator-fivehead-wants-to-impeach-biden-for-what-exactly-v0-unhrmgmx4gq91.jpg?auto=webp&s=452a6906eadeba935c0552dbad78009a0f45d910) ---
**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 4, 2023, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/666 "2023-01-04T18:02:07Z")
Why did the Republicans even let this vote go forward? McCarthy has made absolutely no headway since yesterday. This is pointless, and they had to have know that before it even started. ---
**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, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/667 "2023-01-04T18:02:53Z")
Their choices were 1) let the vote go through, or 2) vote to adjourn, fail to achieve that, and then let the vote go through. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/668 "2023-01-04T18:03:12Z")
> [@MulderMuffin](#): > > Why did the Republicans even let this vote go forward? McCarthy has made absolutely no headway since yesterday. This is pointless, and they had to have know that before it even started. Because the House, by rule, cannot do anything else until a Speaker is elected except adjourn for the day. ---
**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, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/669 "2023-01-04T18:04:15Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > The FC don’t care if anything functions. They’re looking to burn it all down and get Twitter followers, not necessarily in that order; governing comes in a very distant third. Don’t count on them breaking first. That’s all well and good for awhile, but if they don’t get any more than 20 I don’t really think they can hold out for more than a week or so. It just begins to look really stupid after awhile. They literally can’t do anything else until they have a Speaker. I missed Perry but I think so far we still have no additional non-McCarthy votes. So the identical ballot this time. Probably the same for any other ballots today. ---
**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, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/670 "2023-01-04T18:06:25Z")
Donalds up to 20 now. We’ll see if he adds to the Not Kevin total. ---
**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 4, 2023, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/671 "2023-01-04T18:07:36Z")
The definition of in insanity… ---
**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, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/672 "2023-01-04T18:07:53Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > Because the House, by rule, cannot do anything else until a Speaker is elected except adjourn for the day. One interesting idea floated by Pelosi was changing the rules to allow some other business (swearing in new members, for example) to happen without a Speaker. There is no Constitutional requirement to have a Speaker to function - it just says the House “shall chuse” one. ---
**Author:** ![LoneRhino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lonerhino/32/1311_2.png) [@LoneRhino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LoneRhino)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/673 "2023-01-04T18:10:08Z")
If, somehow, Jeffries becomes Speaker can the R’s force another vote down the road or would he be more or less locked in for 2 years? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/674 "2023-01-04T18:10:54Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > it just says the House “shall chuse” one. ‘Shall’ generally means ‘must’. That sounds like they must choose one. If they had the option it would say “may choose”. ---
**Author:** ![gnarator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gnarator/32/8266_2.png) [@gnarator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnarator)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/675 "2023-01-04T18:12:56Z")
I thought Matt Gaetz promised to do it. I’m surprised it hasn’t happened already. ---
**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 4, 2023, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/676 "2023-01-04T18:13:20Z")
Someone voted present. Sparks, or something like that. ---
**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, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/677 "2023-01-04T18:13:49Z")
oooooh, present! that comes out of mccarthy’s total! ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/678 "2023-01-04T18:15:26Z")
> entire box of long pencils for the tally clerks. _Come lady tally clerk, tally me house speaker,_ _Daylight come and me wan’ go home_ _Lift 20 vote, 20 vote, 20 vote, Oh!_ _Daylight come and me wan’ go home_ ---
**Author:** ![slash2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@slash2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slash2k)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/679 "2023-01-04T18:16:48Z")
Victoria Spartz, Republican of Indiana, voted present ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2023, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/680 "2023-01-04T18:17:15Z")
I wonder what that indicates? Seriously, I don’t know. Ftr, it was Victoria Spartz of Indiana. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770.md?page=33) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770.md?page=35)