# 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:** 40
**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:** [October 20, 2023, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/781 "2023-10-20T15:47:13Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > That wouldn’t matter. If 8-10 of them aren’t present (or vote present), then Jeffries gets an outright majority. I hope you are correct! (I still don’t see it happening, though). ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2023, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/782 "2023-10-20T15:47:49Z")
It’s very unlikely (because even the most “moderate” Republicans in Congress are invariably cowardly), but the math works out. The Republicans have a very slim majority, and if my numbers are right, it would only take around 10 Republicans voting present or hiding in the bathroom to guarantee Jeffries the majority. ---
**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 20, 2023, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/783 "2023-10-20T15:48:49Z")
> [@ShadowFacts](#): > > I don’t think that would work. If 8-10 of them did that, it’s HIGHLY likely the rest of the holdouts would switch to Jordan to avoid Jeffries winning. I don’t think that’d matter. Check my numbers: 432(?) Members half plus one = 217 Votes for Jeffries: 212 Republican members: 221 If 9 Republican members vote present: 423 votes cast half plus one = 212 Votes vor Jeffries: 212 If 9 Republicans vote present, every other dissenter can vote for Jordan, and it won’t matter. ---
**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 20, 2023, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/784 "2023-10-20T15:49:18Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), who voted for Jordan in both of the first two votes; CNN reports he is in Israel Wait, you can only afford to lose 4 votes, and you let one of them just not be there? ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2023, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/785 "2023-10-20T15:50:11Z")
Maybe he told Jordan that the other option was he’d show up and vote for someone else. ---
**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 20, 2023, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/786 "2023-10-20T15:50:31Z")
How many votes did McCarthy have against him on Jan 4th? More or less than Jordan? ---
**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:** [October 20, 2023, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/787 "2023-10-20T15:51:51Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > If 9 Republicans vote present, every other dissenter can vote for Jordan, and it won’t matter. Yes, thanks for laying it out like that - makes sense to me now! ---
**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 20, 2023, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/788 "2023-10-20T15:52:49Z")
Quoting myself > [@MulderMuffin](#): > > My crystal ball says 25 against today. Go me!! For my next trick, my crystal ball says Jordan still refuses to drop out. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2023, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/789 "2023-10-20T15:53:20Z")
It seems like at this point, the House is broken. I can’t see how a Speaker is going to be elected. I can’t see any Republican getting enough votes from their own party. There are too many competing factions with opposing views. I can’t see any Republicans supporting the Democrats since there are too many crazies who would cause harm to those Republicans. Maybe enough Republicans vote “Present” so that Jeffries wins, but I’m not sure a House with Jeffries as Speaker will be able to get through any legislation. ---
**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 20, 2023, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/790 "2023-10-20T15:53:24Z")
Jeffries 210 Jordan 194 Other 25 ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2023, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/791 "2023-10-20T15:53:37Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > That wouldn’t matter. If 8-10 of them aren’t present (or vote present), then Jeffries gets an outright majority. While - realistically -I don’t think any Republican would let that happen intentionally, I have this ongoing fantasy where they screw up the math and elect Jeffries by accident while trying to play the “vote present” game. ---
**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 20, 2023, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/792 "2023-10-20T15:54:33Z")
Looks like Hunt, Payne, and Gonzalez (as well as Van Orden, who we know is in Israel) are no-shows ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2023, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/793 "2023-10-20T15:54:55Z")
I have never seen a major political party helplessly flail around like this. ---
**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:** [October 20, 2023, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/794 "2023-10-20T15:55:58Z")
> [@MulderMuffin](#): > > Go me!! For my next trick, my crystal ball says Jordan still refuses to drop out. Good call. I thought it would be a few more, like up to 30 or so. Too bad. ---
**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 20, 2023, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/795 "2023-10-20T15:59:30Z")
Looks like the Freedumb(ass) Caucus is now 0-2 in coups. Here’s the sad part, the more I see of the Speakership fight dating back to Jan 4th, the more proud I am that I’m an ex-Republican. Moderates please use this as an opportunity to take the Party back. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2023, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/796 "2023-10-20T16:00:28Z")
At this point, this isn’t a genuine effort to elect Jim Jordan as Speaker. It’s about building a record of the holdouts repeatedly voting against him that can be used against them in primaries next year. ---
**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 20, 2023, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/797 "2023-10-20T16:06:46Z")
How many of those not voting for Jordan are Trumpers? I mean, Trump has endorsed Jordan, and Gaetz, and McCarthy in various forms, but they are all tangled-up now with this chaos. Maybe that’s by design, or just a happy coincidence that once again proves the point that everything Trump touches turns into mierda. > [@flurb](#): > > It’s about building a record of the holdouts repeatedly voting against him that can be used against them in primaries next year. How about the more reasonable Republicans using this situation against Gaetz in his primary? ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2023, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/798 "2023-10-20T16:07:20Z")
Aaand they’re recessed subject to the call of the chair. ---
**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:** [October 20, 2023, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/799 "2023-10-20T16:08:38Z")
vote over, jordan down. would it be possible to have the former speaker from the uk voted in? [Bing Videos](https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?&q=uk+speaker+order!&&mid=904E5F16D2486FDEAA0D904E5F16D2486FDEAA0D&&FORM=VRDGAR) ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2023, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-great-ongoing-revolving-speakership-of-the-118th-congress-mike-johnson-is-new-speaker-as-of-2023-10-25/991432/800 "2023-10-20T16:09:52Z")
> [@flurb](#): > > At this point, this isn’t a genuine effort to elect Jim Jordan as Speaker. Perhaps he just wants to satisfy a public humiliation fetish. [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=39) [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=41)