# What is the Democrats' strategy behind not supporting McCarthy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 4, 2023, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-democrats-strategy-behind-not-supporting-mccarthy/991075 "2023-10-04T01:25:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-democrats-strategy-behind-not-supporting-mccarthy/991075/101 "2023-10-05T18:23:20Z")
to me, it seems that it could get much worse for the Dems. but I’m not in the know of what’s going on behind the doors. THe Repubs can bring forth a more conservative person to appease the right wingers, and the moderate republicans will fall in line and just approve them because they are Republican. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-democrats-strategy-behind-not-supporting-mccarthy/991075/102 "2023-10-05T18:28:04Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > a more conservative person to appease the right wingers, And how would that contrast with McCarthy, who sold his soul to them in order to become speaker? ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-democrats-strategy-behind-not-supporting-mccarthy/991075/103 "2023-10-05T18:29:30Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > to me, it seems that it could get much worse for the Dems. but I’m not in the know of what’s going on behind the doors. That’s a major factor, I think. Out here in the wilds, we get a few rumors of Republicans saying they’re tired of the shit show, but that’s all they are: rumors. But the Democratic Congress members work with these people every day. They have opportunities to talk to them in person, away from the cameras, and thus, maybe, getting their real opinions. Perhaps that kind of talk has the Dems hoping that a few of the GOP members are teetering on the edge, ready to fall back into sanity. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-democrats-strategy-behind-not-supporting-mccarthy/991075/104 "2023-10-05T18:44:49Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > to me, it seems that it could get much worse for the Dems. but I’m not in the know of what’s going on behind the doors. > > THe Repubs can bring forth a more conservative person to appease the right wingers, and the moderate republicans will fall in line and just approve them because they are Republican. And Boehner, Ryan and now McCarthy found out this is not enough. It will never be enough. In the past if a congressman wanted to get rich, and they all did with a bit of civic duty and ego to boot, then they had to pay their dues in minor committees until they got better gigs and rose in prominence to eventually become head of the powerful ones or else Lobbyist. Now they can just be crazy, go on FOX and then get speaking gigs and dirty money. The ones voting to oust McCarthy do not need the GOP machinery to profit and they do not have to wait in the shadows only blowing dog whistles. For this money making plan to work they need to make national news and to do that all they have to be is provocative and that is easy so they spring up like Subway locations. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-democrats-strategy-behind-not-supporting-mccarthy/991075/105 "2023-10-05T18:52:15Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > The ones voting to oust McCarthy do not need the GOP machinery to profit and they do not have to wait in the shadows only blowing dog whistles. For this money making plan to work they need to make national news and to do that all they have to be is provocative and that is easy so they spring up like Subway locations. And this was **always** going to happen. The minute McCarthy agreed to that idiotic “any single representative can file a motion to vacate,” he strung up his very own Sword of Damocles and handed Gaetz et al. a pair of scissors with “I serve at your pleasure” embossed on the blades. If it wasn’t now, it would’ve been soon enough. There’s no way in hell he was going to make it through even a single term. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-democrats-strategy-behind-not-supporting-mccarthy/991075/106 "2023-10-05T19:04:08Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > THe Repubs can bring forth a more conservative person to appease the right wingers, and the moderate republicans will fall in line and just approve them because they are Republican. That’s certainly no better but it’s not really any worse than the current situation. With McCarthy it became clear no budget would be passed, Biden is one step from being impeached, and even the CR was a last minute affair with some D priorities stripped away. They _already_ had a Speaker who would not work with them and made no overtures to their position on anything (because the FC would have simply kicked him out sooner had he tried). Any replacement would do the same but with less civil language. There’s only an academic difference between one bullet in the head vs two bullets in the head. Worse beyond a certain line is effectively no difference. And that’s the situation they found themselves in. A “surely it could be worse” argument from incredulity is not very convincing. We’ve already crossed the point where ‘worse’ means effectively very little in in terms of actual governance. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-democrats-strategy-behind-not-supporting-mccarthy/991075/107 "2023-10-05T19:07:02Z")
Things **are** better now. The Republicans look weak and divided. There must be people getting fed up with them. This will hurt them politically. I suspect this moment will be cited as a reason why they lose the House in the next election. ---
**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:** [October 5, 2023, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-democrats-strategy-behind-not-supporting-mccarthy/991075/108 "2023-10-05T19:24:38Z")
> [@Sigene](#): > > I don’t think the Democrats are of the sort to say “screw McCarthy because he’s a Republican” I think they are more savvy and thinking "Removing McCarthy is to our advantage because…X. X is another opportunity to vote for a Democratic speaker. The political goal of the House Democrats is and always should be to control it. Their job is not to keep the other side as moderate as possible. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-democrats-strategy-behind-not-supporting-mccarthy/991075/109 "2023-10-05T19:45:01Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > (Not trying to start a hijack here. I do believe that voting Green is _actually_ evil and foolish, I just think it’s funny that parties think that they’re _owed_ the votes of certain people and shouldn’t have to make any effort to actually appeal to those people) I’m not sure about this. The Greens are (on paper) pro-climate, and Republicans are proudly and insistently anti-climate. Pointing this out isn’t entitlement, it’s just a simple fact that this behavior is so self-defeating that it calls their motives into question. (And of course, whether they know it or not, the Greens aren’t a pro-environment party, they’re a spoiler party that’s too obtuse to grapple with the reasons that they always end up helping the worst anti-environmentalists get elected. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-democrats-strategy-behind-not-supporting-mccarthy/991075/110 "2023-10-05T19:46:02Z")
Democrats to Green voters in 2000: “You’re voting against your own interests! Argh, this is so frustrating!” GOP Reps to Dem reps a few days ago: “You’re voting against our interests! Argh, this is so frustrating!” ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-democrats-strategy-behind-not-supporting-mccarthy/991075/111 "2023-10-05T19:52:16Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > The political goal of the House Democrats is and always should be to control it. Their job is not to keep the other side as moderate as possible. Quite officially, their job is to protect the Constitution and to “form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity”. If their first goal is to empower the Democratic party then they’re not fit for office. ---
**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:** [October 5, 2023, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-democrats-strategy-behind-not-supporting-mccarthy/991075/112 "2023-10-05T19:57:09Z")
Read this again: > [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > The political goal The vacating of a Speaker is a political act. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-democrats-strategy-behind-not-supporting-mccarthy/991075/113 "2023-10-05T20:01:15Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > If their first goal is to empower the Democratic party then they’re not fit for office. If they don’t have power they can’t do any of the things in their job description. That’s like if someone says, my priority is to get my car repaired and/or get another mode of transportation so I can get to work. And you respond, if transportation is your first goal then you’re not fit to do your job. It’s a silly stance to take. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-democrats-strategy-behind-not-supporting-mccarthy/991075/114 "2023-10-05T20:40:49Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > MAGA isn’t the Dems problem to solve. It’s the Republicans. And as long as the Dems work to solve the problem, the Republicans won’t have to. > > If your dad keeps bailing you out of financial jams, why stop putting yourself in financial jams? This. The Democrats should not be faulted for not being the Republican’s enablers. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-democrats-strategy-behind-not-supporting-mccarthy/991075/115 "2023-10-05T20:58:07Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > If their first goal is to empower the Democratic party then they’re not fit for office. To paraphrase Tony Montana: First you get the Money, then you get the Power, then you get to promote the general Welfare and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity. The Republicans have spent the last 30 years being viciously partisan, there is no point too low if it lets them wield power. You can’t stop them if you play nice and treat them like hard working public servants who you happen to disagree with on fine points of governance. These are people who would absolutely have scuttled the election of Joe Biden if they could have gotten away with it. All to get a ridiculous man-child re-elected. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-democrats-strategy-behind-not-supporting-mccarthy/991075/116 "2023-10-05T22:44:22Z")
The Democratic strategy?? The strategy is “Fuck You.” McCarthy travelled to Florida _AFTER_ Jan 6 to kiss Trump’s ass, and then allowed the bullshit impeachment inquiry of Biden to distract from, you guessed it, Trump’s criminal trials. The strategy, is merely a sane response. It is “Fuck you.” ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2023, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-democrats-strategy-behind-not-supporting-mccarthy/991075/117 "2023-10-05T22:46:56Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > If they don’t have power they can’t do any of the things in their job description. If the average state of Congress is that, at any given moment, only about half of the representatives are able to represent their electorate then, to be certain, it’s their duty to solve that. But that brings it back to empowerment, not rulership. Rulership is antithetical to the intended purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2023, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-democrats-strategy-behind-not-supporting-mccarthy/991075/118 "2023-10-06T00:21:35Z")
Here is the offer I would make to the Republican members of the problem solvers caucus. You talk among yourselves and decide which of you wants to be speaker. We will support this candidate and with your help elect them speaker. Once in place we will use our votes to protect him from any votes to remove from Gaetz and the freedom cuacus going forward. In return, you will work with us to put of the bi-partisan Senate budget to a floor vote and pass it. After that you are free to run the house as you see fit. You can try to pass tax cuts, impeach Biden, whatever, so long as your keep your wrongness within fairly normal parameters. This deal lasts until the next Congress at which point we see where things stand. I don’t know whether they would take it but they might. I also don’t know whether it would be better to approach them right now or let them twist in the wind of a bit putting the dysfunction of the Republican out for all to see, but risking the chance that they might manage of coalesce around a MAGA speaker. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2023, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-democrats-strategy-behind-not-supporting-mccarthy/991075/119 "2023-10-06T00:45:42Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Rulership is antithetical to the intended purpose. This is what happens when the Republicans are so pig-headed that any attempt to compromise to get something done is seen as a betrayal. Half of Congress (actually, a bit more than half) wants the government to fail. **That** is the problem we are facing. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2023, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-democrats-strategy-behind-not-supporting-mccarthy/991075/120 "2023-10-06T01:21:33Z")
Since McCarthy reneged on agreements he made with Democrats, I expect the response would be, “Yeah! Sure thing! Okey-dokey!” and then any bipartisan plans will be ignored. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-democrats-strategy-behind-not-supporting-mccarthy/991075.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-democrats-strategy-behind-not-supporting-mccarthy/991075.md?page=7)