# The Great Ongoing Revolving Speakership of the 118th Congress {Mike Johnson is new speaker as of 2023-10-25}

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [October 12, 2023, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432 "2023-10-12T02:05:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 18

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**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/341 "2023-10-17T17:28:21Z")

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I guess the question is whether they go straight into another vote or if McHenry puts them into a recess for Jordan to work the holdouts.

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**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/342 "2023-10-17T17:30:36Z")

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Standing ovation for Rep. Mary Peltola, who lost her husband in a plane crash last month. That was nice moment.

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**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:** [October 17, 2023, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/343 "2023-10-17T17:30:42Z")

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Why the applause for Pelota voting for Jeffries?

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**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/344 "2023-10-17T17:32:36Z")

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Answer immediately preceded your question.

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**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:** [October 17, 2023, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/345 "2023-10-17T17:35:28Z")

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Thanks! We must have posted at the same time.

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**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:** [October 17, 2023, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/346 "2023-10-17T17:39:41Z")

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> [@hajario](#):
>
> McCarthy votes for Jordan

What a wuss. The cuckoo caucus throws you out, at least shows some spunk

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**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:** [October 17, 2023, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/347 "2023-10-17T17:43:20Z")

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> [@BobLibDem](#):
>
> What a wuss. The cuckoo caucus throws you out, at least shows some spunk

Heh, that was funny–for a minute there it sounded like you expected McCarthy to show some backbone.

You know how the Nice Guy gets dumped by his terrible girlfriend so she can date the violent gymrat, and instead of standing up for himself, the Nice Guy is all like, “I support your new relationship!” because he figures his terrible ex is gonna eventually break up with the violent gymrat and come crawling back to him? That nice guy is named Kevin.

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**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/348 "2023-10-17T17:44:09Z")

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When has McCarthy shown evidence of the existence of a single vertebrae, let alone an actual spine?

He went down to Mar a Lago to bend the knee and kiss the ring _after_ his own life was threatened on Jan 6th. He’s a jellyfish. That’s actually an insult to jellyfish though…

eta: haha ninja’d on the spine reference

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**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:** [October 17, 2023, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/349 "2023-10-17T17:44:42Z")

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That’s 20 votes against. Jim needs 16 of them

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**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:** [October 17, 2023, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/350 "2023-10-17T17:45:15Z")

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From a live blog on the Washington Post

> Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), another lawmaker who serves on appropriations subcommittees, voted against Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio). After Simpson cast his vote for Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), Jordan made a beeline for him, and they chatted for a bit.

Apparently quite a few of the holdouts are on the Appropriations subcommittee.

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**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:** [October 17, 2023, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/351 "2023-10-17T17:51:16Z")

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Bilirakis is the person who didn’t vote. He is at a funeral and will be back in DC in at his mother-in-law’s funeral and will be in DC at 6pm local time. He has said that he will vote for Jordan.

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**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:** [October 17, 2023, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/352 "2023-10-17T17:52:19Z")

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Probably because Jordan being perceived as a burn-it-all-down-er, the Appropriators worry about decrees to defund or shut down everything including things the Rs DO like and want.

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**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/353 "2023-10-17T17:53:32Z")

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Also, knowing that tomorrow you can walk into a seven-digit salary on K Street probably takes a lot of the fear out of being primaried.

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**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:** [October 17, 2023, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/354 "2023-10-17T17:54:57Z")

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Recess. Jordan must need some time to twist arms and bust kneecaps.

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**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:** [October 17, 2023, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/355 "2023-10-17T17:57:26Z")

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I wonder what the holdouts may get in concessions for their vote.

I guess the whole “Democrats fall in love. Republicans fall in line” thing is over now.

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**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/356 "2023-10-17T17:58:09Z")

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Merry Christmas! Og bless us everyone!

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**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/357 "2023-10-17T18:00:36Z")

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So, those who know more about politics than I do…  
Did Jordan and his cronies think they actually had enough votes to win this?  
Or did they just need to know which arms needed extra twisting?  
Or is there some other reason to bring a doomed vote to the floor?

Unless there’s something I’m missing, it seems like this is just more of the Rs showing themselves for the dysfunctional clowns they are.

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**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:** [October 17, 2023, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/358 "2023-10-17T18:01:21Z")

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> [@snowthx](#):
>
> I wonder what the holdouts may get in concessions for their vote.

More threats.

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**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/359 "2023-10-17T18:03:49Z")

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“The beatings will continue until morale improves.”

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**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\
**Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/360 "2023-10-17T18:04:06Z")

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Based on history, Jordan will now either pretend not to have heard that the vote happened, or he’ll demand 6 recounts and file a half dozen baseless lawsuits against the clerk of the house. Admittedly a rather divergent choice.

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