As I said upthread, House Democrats as a bloc will NEVER vote for any Republican as Speaker, no matter what Jeffries may urge them to do. Their caucus will split over it, and it’s an open question how many D’s would go along with the ploy. My guess is the number is quite low, and the number of these crossover Democrats plus “moderate” Republicans would come nowhere close to a majority of the House.
Agree. Without the Democrats help, the Republicans are revealing one crappy Speaker candidate after another, for all to see. The pressure is building within the Republican caucus, IMHO, to put forward a more moderate candidate. But the Freedumb Caucus has them by the short-and-curlys. I am starting to think either McCarthy was the only one who could have been elected Speaker with the caucus the way it is, or the FC really wants this disfunction - if that’s the case, the only way to break the deadlock and start working again is for a few Democrats to vote for a non-nutty candidate. I dont know who that may be.
Never is a bit strong.
If this goes on until we’re in a government shutdown, you’ll probably get some Democrats voting present for McHenry. I know McHenry says he doesn’t want it, but politicians like power. He may be biding his time.
So may Scalise. As majority leader, he is the natural pick, and might jump back in if the scrum next week is an epic fail.
So capitulate to the terrorists now before they commit another greater outrage, is that it?
Yep, that’s it. A frankly disgusting idea every American should be ashamed of.
Appeasement doesn’t work in any other area of statecraft, so it sure as hell won’t work here.
The D’s correct play is to continue working diligently behind the scenes to try to inject some of the same anti-terrorist courage the Ds already have into enough of the better Rs. That’s the only way to avoid government by terrorism.
I don’t think he wants the stress while he’s dealing with medical issues right now, and I don’t blame him. And Governor Sununu? The guy who’s been paling around with DeSantis?
I will eat my shoe of AOC, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib and other members of the “Squad” can physically force themselves to utter the name of a Republican when the clerk calls on them to cast their vote for Speaker. Many more Democrats will refuse either out of principle, fear of primary challenge, or because they object to whatever deal is cut to elect this “compromise” Speaker.
As I said, it’s not impossible that some number of Democrats could be persuaded to vote for this “moderate” Republican Speaker, or to vote present. But my own sense is this would be well less than half the Democratic conference, and you’d lose well more than half the Republican conference over the Speaker candidate colluding with Democrats.
I don’t think that if the Democrats decided to help a particular candidate win the speakership that it would be in the form of activity voting for him and calling his name during the vote. If they decide to help out will almost certainly be in the form of “present” votes or strategic absences that will let the R majority have enough of their own votes to choose their speaker. Just bringing that 217 threshold down to whatever number of votes the acceptable candidate can get in his own conference.
Like I said, it’s a math problem. How many Republicans could be persuaded to vote for a “moderate” Speaker, knowing that he or she could only be elected through compromise with the Democrats? And how many Democrats could be persuaded to step aside and allow this Speaker to be elected, knowing that their action (or lack thereof) allowed a Republican to gain the Speakership?
My estimate of both is low, but it’s all just guessing games until an actual name and actual proposal for how this candidate would govern the House is on the table.
So have the Republicans learned yet that blowing something up is easier than putting something together?
Then why did he run for the Speaker in the first place? And why is he still the majority leader, no easy 9 to 5 job that?
What about McConnell? Does he have medical issues?
These guys like power. Scalise’s multiple myeloma might be worse than he makes out, but, if so, what does that tell us about his priorities?
I could also mention Democrats who decline to give up power, but that’s for another thread.
As a former Republican, I do like that you “don’t blame him” 
P.S. Or you could be completely correct. There is such a thing as a mild case of multiple myeloma, but this is not it:
I do agree that Scalise might come back. He realized that it was just not going to happen the first time, it may have been a tactical play to step back until the whole thing is such a shitshow that there is much greater pressure for everyone to fall into line.
The FC really wants this disfunction.
The “strategic absences” strategy is quite risky. If they’re not present at the vote, there’s nothing they can do if the Republicans decide to elect somebody other than who they said they would. It’s become utterly clear that the Democrats can’t trust Republican promises.
No. They aren’t going to elevate a presidential hopeful to the national stage, give him a badge as the savior of Democracy, and watch while he puts forth fiscally responsible and socially moderate legislation under the guise of ‘working together’.
If the GOP wants a GOP governor as Speaker, they can vote him in – they have the numbers.
The Dems have two options: vote as a bloc for Jeffries or as a bloc present. Anything else makes this Speaker debacle leave a stink on the Dems too.
Hell, it’s become utterly clear that Republicans can’t trust Republican promises.
There are officially nine candidates who will vie for the Republican Conference nomination for Speaker on Monday. They are eight indistinguishable white men and Byron Donalds.
I’m watching this debacle from the UK.
Have I got this right?:
- there’s a number of MAGA Republicans who despise Democrats and moderate Republicans
- moderate Republicans are afraid that if they act sensibly, they will be kicked out by Maga voters next election
- the USA is paralysed until a new Speaker is appointed
Bingo.
Or put themselves and their families at risk of physical harm.
I think this works as shorthand, but I don’t think it’s quite right to think of this as “moderates” vs “MAGA.” The opposition to Jordan included Republican members from districts that voted for Biden as well as some from overwhelmingly Republican districts. Conversely, there were Republican members from Biden districts that supported Jordan.
Basically. With congressional votes being named and published, it’s basically impossible for representatives (who are on a two year term) to do anything but abide by the will of the strongest force on the leash at any given moment. Since that rule was instituted, it’s broken down anyone with any personal ethics or compass and pushed them out of government. It’s now populated with people who are comfortable with being leashed, and they’re heeling admirably all the way to being lead off a cliff face.