# The Great Ongoing Revolving Speakership of the 118th Congress {Mike Johnson is new speaker as of 2023-10-25} **URL:** \ **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:** 20
**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, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/381 "2023-10-17T19:52:28Z")
> [@](#): > > Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) declined to say whether she would support Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) as she walked into the House chamber, suggesting to reporters that **her vote depended on how many other Republicans voted for him**. Now there’s a profile in courage! “I don’t know how I’ll vote, until I see how others are voting, so I can be on the right side.” ---
**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, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/382 "2023-10-17T19:54:12Z")
“You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows” ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/383 "2023-10-17T19:56:02Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) declined to say whether she would support Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) as she walked into the House chamber, suggesting to reporters that **her vote depended on how many other Republicans voted for him**. > > Now there’s a profile in courage! > > “I don’t know how I’ll vote, until I see how others are voting, so I can be on the right side.” [![](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/899424374673780747/1163928233520144393/Monsters_at_Work_Remain_Neutral_Full_Quote.jpg?ex=65415ba3&is=652ee6a3&hm=a2a9dbc8e7aad3e4113fcb749962a55b247e5c0f181d7fa2ca15c63213e99bd4&) ](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/899424374673780747/1163928233520144393/Monsters_at_Work_Remain_Neutral_Full_Quote.jpg?ex=65415ba3&is=652ee6a3&hm=a2a9dbc8e7aad3e4113fcb749962a55b247e5c0f181d7fa2ca15c63213e99bd4&) ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/384 "2023-10-17T20:03:03Z")
The 12th Amendment says that anyone ineligible to be elected president cannot be VP. But I don’t think that applies to the rest of the line of succession. If Biden wins and the Dems take back the House next year, it seems to me they could elect Obama as Speaker, then Biden and Harris could both start feeling a little under the weather… Now _that_ would make MAGA heads explode. ---
**Author:** ![OttoDaFe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ottodafe/32/356_2.png) [@OttoDaFe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OttoDaFe)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/385 "2023-10-17T20:06:30Z")
I’m beginning to wonder if we ought to start naming House sessions, as has been done from time to time with Parliaments in England. There have been several Goods, a couple of Bads, a Drunken and a Barebone’s, to name a few; but the one that comes to mind is the [Addled](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addled_Parliament): > Lasting only two months and two days, **it saw no bills pass** and was not even regarded as a parliament by its contemporaries. However, for its failure it has been known to posterity as the Addled Parliament. (Emphasis added) My Ouija board is sulking and Mariah isn’t leaving enough goat entrails around to be examined, but I have a feeling that from this point on the current session is going to resemble the highlighted section. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/386 "2023-10-17T20:07:12Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > The 12th Amendment says that anyone ineligible to be president cannot be VP. But I don’t think that applies to the rest of the line of succession. If Biden wins and the Dems take back the House next year, it seems to me they could elect Obama as Speaker, then Biden and Harris could both start feeling a little under the weather… > > Now _that_ would make MAGA heads explode. If Obama is “ineligible to be President,” then I don’t think he’s eligible to be “acting President,” either. However (I heard “here we go again” - I’ll have to dig up my past posts on this subject - [here’s one from 2012](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-bill-clinton-or-george-w-bush-become-president-again-edited-title/622641)), technically, Obama is not “ineligible to be President.” He is ineligible to be _elected_ President. I don’t see anything in the Constitution that says that he cannot become President through other means. (22nd Amendment, Section 1, first sentence: “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.”) ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/387 "2023-10-17T20:07:41Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > He is ineligible to be _elected_ President. I don’t see anything in the Constitution that says that he cannot become President through other means. Right, that was my reasoning. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/388 "2023-10-17T20:08:25Z")
ETA: @OttoDaFe 3 posts up. Well much like the Parliaments of yore, we do have a lot of “rotten boroughs” although not in the sense the term was used back then. Ours are simply filled with rotten voters and plenty of 'em. Who elect rotten reps. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/389 "2023-10-17T20:11:02Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > > [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > > > He is ineligible to be _elected_ President. I don’t see anything in the Constitution that says that he cannot become President through other means. > > Right, that was my reasoning. And mine is that, since he is “eligible” to be President, he can become Vice-President. He may even be eligible to be elected Vice-President. But enough about this tangent - back to the Speakership vote. I assume the next one will be after Bilirakis returns from his mother-in-law’s funeral; he’s supposed to back in DC around 6:00 Eastern, but then there’s the traffic from Reagan International to the Capitol. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/390 "2023-10-17T20:12:33Z")
Ah, right - the last sentence of the 12th doesn’t say “elected”. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/391 "2023-10-17T20:15:58Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > I am starting to think Gaetz didn’t really game this all out before he pitched his tantrum. I don’t know if you meant this to be funny but it cracked me up. ---
**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, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/392 "2023-10-17T20:19:16Z")
Haha yeah there was some sarcasm there. Gaetz is many things, but a master strategist isn’t one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/393 "2023-10-17T20:22:49Z")
You’ve probably seen this: > **[Matt Gaetz pouts he's 'tired' of not having a speaker after ousting McCarthy](https://www.rawstory.com/matt-gaetz-speaker-vote/)** > > Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) said on Sunday he is "tired" of the behind-the-scenes battle for the next speaker of the House after he ousted former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). > > "I don't really understand why trying to move the House into a more... ---
**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, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/394 "2023-10-17T20:27:02Z")
“I don’t really understand why trying to move the House into a more conservative position, trying to get a more conservative House speaker would draw the ire of conservatives,” Well, Mr. Congressman, it’s because your definition of “conservative” is very different from the historic meaning of that term. Also, the freedom caucus is, what, 10 members? You have 10 out of 435 representatives in the house. Where does this entitlement come from that your 10 members should have complete say over everything for the entire country? I ask knowing full well that he knows this and does not care. This is how fascists think. ETA: ok so its more like 45 members, but the point still stands. They are out of step with the vast majority of the country. ---
**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:** [October 17, 2023, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/395 "2023-10-17T20:28:05Z")
> [@Riemann](#): > > You’ve probably seen this: Tha’s gotta be from the Onion, right? ---
**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:** [October 17, 2023, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/396 "2023-10-17T20:44:23Z")
Why was Connolly booed for voting Jeffries? He’s a Democrat. ---
**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, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/397 "2023-10-17T20:58:17Z")
Rep. Chip Roy on Fox News: “You know who is opposing Jim Jordan? Appropriators and people who like the power of the defense industry and money in this town. That has to end. It ends now. That’s what this battle is all about.” Not sure that’s going to persuade the hold outs to come around, Chip. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/398 "2023-10-17T20:58:58Z")
> **[Congress Gasps When Rep. Elise Stefanik Cites Jim Jordan's Wrestling Past In...](https://www.yahoo.com/news/congress-gasps-rep-elise-stefanik-195206189.html/)** > > The New York Republican unintentionally reminded people that, when Jordan was a coach, he allegedly ignored claims of abuse against the Ohio State team doctor. [Emphasis mine:] > While nominating Jordan for the job, Stefanik claimed that he “is the voice of the American people who have felt voiceless for far too long. Whether as judiciary chair, conservative leader, or representative for his constituents in West Central Ohio, **whether on the wrestling mat** or in the committee room, Jim Jordan is strategic, scrappy, tough and principled.” > > **The “wrestling mat” comment may not have left the impression Stefanik intended.** Someone replied: > Jim Jordan wasn’t a voice for the voiceless on that wrestling mat. He covered up sexual abuse for years. I keep hearing about Jordan saying inane things, and now he’s being considered for Speaker of the House. I think before he’s elected Speaker, his inaction on the wrestling matter should get more publicity. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2023, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/399 "2023-10-17T21:05:15Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > You have 10 out of 435 representatives in the house. Where does this entitlement come from that your 10 members should have complete say over everything for the entire country? > > I ask knowing full well that he knows this and does not care. This is how fascists think. > > ETA: ok so its more like 45 members, but the point still stands. They are out of step with the vast majority of the country. I’m not sure that he does know that. I’ve known people with a lot more brains than he seems to have who were convinced that most people in the country agree with them, based solely on the fact that most of their friends and most of what they chose to read agreed with them. I think at least some of the people who stormed the Capitol really thought that most of the country would rise up and join them. ---
**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, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/400 "2023-10-17T21:08:26Z")
I thought this was amusing: swing district Representative Nick LaLota posted his four demands to support a Speaker. Number 1: Keep the government open “while cutting spending.” The next three items: spending on things that benefit his district. > [Previous page](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.md?page=19) [Next page](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.md?page=21)