# 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:** 99
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/1961 "2023-01-07T05:52:34Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > What’s the over/under on how long he lasts? I don’t think American race and sports books can book bets on political propositions, so there won’t be an over/under or a line. But I bet (ha!) that the British bookmakers will be posting such things on Monday, and accepting wagers. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/1962 "2023-01-07T05:55:01Z")
Well, that’s that. Darn. ---
**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 7, 2023, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/1963 "2023-01-07T06:16:14Z")
I’m pretty sure you can go down and fill out a red card to change your vote before the gavel. That’s what McCarthy and a bunch of others did on the vote to adjourn once they realized Gaetz and the others would all vote present on the 15th vote. The clerk only calls names of those who didn’t vote first time around. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/1964 "2023-01-07T06:16:57Z")
On the plus side, at least it didn’t happen on January 6th. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/1965 "2023-01-07T06:49:00Z")
So now that this is over, is there any chance of some changes so that similar dumb stuff doesn’t happen in the future? Like for example making it so the Congressional staff can get paid (this does not have to include the Congresscritters themselves) even if there is no Speaker? Or swearing the members in first and then having the Speaker contest? ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/1966 "2023-01-07T07:14:56Z")
> **[Kevin McCarthy wins House speaker bid after gruelling 15-vote saga](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/06/kevin-mccarthy-republican-wins-house-speaker)** > > California Republican finally able to convince hard-right detractors after a week of negotiations and concessions ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/1967 "2023-01-07T09:11:20Z")
For those interested here is McCarty’s speech upon becoming Speaker. I found it to be standard political pablum. Something pretty much all politicians of any stripe say (admittedly I did not finish watching all of it…just not much there really). [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/zbvUN3q3pZs/maxresdefault.jpg "McCarthy makes first speech as House speaker: One thing is clear, I never give up") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbvUN3q3pZs) ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@Paul\_was\_in\_Saudi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_was_in_Saudi)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/1968 "2023-01-07T10:34:17Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > I guess Republicans _do_ negotiate with terrorists. How can I upvote this? ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/1969 "2023-01-07T12:12:52Z")
Watching the clips makes want a cast list of the players in this farce. For example, who’s the guy in the bowtie? ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/1970 "2023-01-07T13:04:23Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > So now that this is over, is there any chance of some changes so that similar dumb stuff doesn’t happen in the future? Well humans and politicians particularly have a fine track record for finding new dumb stuff to do but, FWIW. 1. The new Senate is sworn in by the Clerk of the House. 2. First item of business of the new House is elect a Speaker. 3. Nominations are called. After being proposed and seconded, no further nominations may enter the ballot. 3.1 If there is only one nomination, or at any stage in the balloting process there is only one nomination left, declare them as duely elected. 3.2 In any ballot, Members may abstain but those votes are not included in the count. 3.3 If more than two nominations then elimination ballots are taken and at each ballot the nomination with the lowest number of votes cast for is eliminated. 3.4 If there is a tie for lowest number, all those candidates are eliminated. 3.5 If needed, further rounds of elimination ballots are conducted until either one or two nominations remain. If only one, declare them as duely elected. 3.6 Hold the primary ballot for the Speaker between the two remaining candidates. 3.7 If the primary ballot is a tie in votes cast for, hold a secondary ballot. 3.8 If the secondary ballot is a tie then all Members of the House immediately resign and a supplementary election for the whole House is held as soon as practical. 3.9 The ire, rage, nea naked fury of the American public and inevitable voter backlash at the inconvenience and cost caused by their Representatives (plus the considerable cost to the Representatives own electoral war chests) at being unable to conduct the first item of business will acutely focus hearts and minds and the process never proceeds past stage 3.7 But American problems require American solutions so, realistically, the prevailing shit-fight is about the best you can expect. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/1971 "2023-01-07T13:30:03Z")
Bottom line. All this crap should be handled behind closed doors by the majority conference in the two months between the election and the first day of Congress. What the Republicans did was like sending a construction crew (a workforce of about 10,000) to a work site without a blueprint or tools or a foreman or even the ability to pay that crew. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/1972 "2023-01-07T13:42:33Z")
So true. The recently popular word “performative” describes it well. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/1973 "2023-01-07T13:50:54Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > So true. The recently popular word “performative” describes it well. You say that like it’s a bad thing. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/1974 "2023-01-07T13:56:35Z")
What’s the reasoning/rules around allowing for people to change their votes after they’ve been cast? I didn’t quite follow that part of these proceedings. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/1975 "2023-01-07T14:03:57Z")
Gotta love Rep Katie Porter (click on the pic to see what she is reading): [![](https://i.redd.it/27qh424w7maa1.jpg) ](https://i.redd.it/27qh424w7maa1.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/1976 "2023-01-07T14:19:27Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > The new Senate is sworn in by the Clerk of the House. Why would the Clerk of the House swear in the Senate??? ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/1977 "2023-01-07T14:23:13Z")
I thought the Vice President swore in the Senate. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/1978 "2023-01-07T14:25:08Z")
Yes, she does since she is the president of the senate. But, she can appoint a surrogate to do it instead. Dunno that she did in this case but she could. ---
**Author:** ![Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jimmy\_Chitwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jimmy_Chitwood)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/1979 "2023-01-07T14:27:50Z")
lord knows I would ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2023, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770/1980 "2023-01-07T14:37:07Z")
Well, there was a lot of drama, a pinch of _sturn und drang_, a heavy dose of punching oneself in the balls, but at the end of the day we got what was most likely all along: McCarthy as speaker. Cthulhu help us. As far as I can tell from following this thread and the NY Times live coverage, there was _no_ outreach to Dems about a compromise “moderate” candidate. There was _no_ maneuvering by the “Problem Solvers” caucus to get anyone other than McCarthy in there. There was not a whiff of any movement toward the center; nothing but lurching to the right to appease whackjobs who want to blow up the government. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770.md?page=98) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/house-speaker-contest/974770.md?page=100)