# What is the Import of Mike Johnson's Win as Speaker of the House? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [October 25, 2023, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-import-of-mike-johnsons-win-as-speaker-of-the-house/992097 "2023-10-25T18:20:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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 25, 2023, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-import-of-mike-johnsons-win-as-speaker-of-the-house/992097/21 "2023-10-25T19:39:18Z")
I’ll say, I’m glad it’s not Jim Jordan with the gavel. Johnson doesn’t seem much better, but still, it’s not Jordan. I can at least take a tiny bit of comfort in that. One thing I wonder, this whole mess has made the Republicans look weak, fractured, and incompetent. Has that put a spotlight on Johnson? Will his antics (and those of the rest of the FC) affect the next election? In the sense that they lose some of the fervent support that got them into their positions. ---
**Author:** ![DeadTreasSecretaries](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deadtreassecretaries/32/4817_2.png) [@DeadTreasSecretaries](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadTreasSecretaries)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-import-of-mike-johnsons-win-as-speaker-of-the-house/992097/22 "2023-10-25T19:42:09Z")
If that’s the case the house will will split the bills, fund Israel and block Ukraine aid. I don’t think with Johnson it’s going to be possible to sweeten the deal. If he wants to block aid he will, and dare someone else to do something about it. Maybe then there’s a standoff with the senate followed by a deal to recombine the deals, but that likely would take way more than some GOP red meat. It would probably take slashi g the requested aid to Ukraine. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-import-of-mike-johnsons-win-as-speaker-of-the-house/992097/23 "2023-10-25T19:42:40Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > I’m not worried about the election being stolen because VP Harris won’t allow it, because of the [Electoral College Reform Act of 2022](https://www.ncsl.org/state-legislatures-news/details/what-the-electoral-count-reform-act-means-for-states), and also because of thinking Trump will gain another term legitimately. Well, trump wont win. Unless he is sill alive and health and Biden is out. But there’s a decent chance the dems will retake the House. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-import-of-mike-johnsons-win-as-speaker-of-the-house/992097/24 "2023-10-25T19:45:14Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > But there’s a decent chance the dems will retake the House. I would have previously said that there’s a chance, but not a _decent_ chance considering all that’s going on. I would say the obvious dysfunction for the Republicans in the House election _should_ have made the chances better, but I’m horribly cynical, and think they’ll (as has been the case so far) shift the blame to the Democrats and pretend it never happened / was for the best because McCarthy is a RINO after all. 🙄 ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-import-of-mike-johnsons-win-as-speaker-of-the-house/992097/25 "2023-10-25T19:54:46Z")
Yeah, no great options. But the Senate and Administration can’t credibly threaten to shutdown the government over Ukraine aid, because they’ve already shown they won’t. ---
**Author:** ![DeadTreasSecretaries](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deadtreassecretaries/32/4817_2.png) [@DeadTreasSecretaries](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadTreasSecretaries)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-import-of-mike-johnsons-win-as-speaker-of-the-house/992097/26 "2023-10-25T20:04:00Z")
That’s a good point. ---
**Author:** ![TeroSunbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terosunbear/32/14748_2.png) [@TeroSunbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeroSunbear)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-import-of-mike-johnsons-win-as-speaker-of-the-house/992097/27 "2023-10-25T21:02:39Z")
How soon till Lauren Boebert and MTG argue about impeaching Biden under new speaker? ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-import-of-mike-johnsons-win-as-speaker-of-the-house/992097/28 "2023-10-25T21:10:29Z")
So, what countries accept American refugees? WaPo says he opposes abortion, opposes aid to Ukraine, and favors anti-LGBTQ legislation. But he’s likely to push through a short-term spending bill to avoid an immediate shutdown. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-import-of-mike-johnsons-win-as-speaker-of-the-house/992097/29 "2023-10-25T21:25:13Z")
A post was merged into an existing topic: [What countries take American refugees](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-countries-take-american-refugees/992103/2) ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-import-of-mike-johnsons-win-as-speaker-of-the-house/992097/30 "2023-10-25T21:43:02Z")
I expect that will come up soon. ---
**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 25, 2023, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-import-of-mike-johnsons-win-as-speaker-of-the-house/992097/31 "2023-10-25T21:47:30Z")
It’ll be funny. They barely got a simple majority to elect a speaker after multiple failed attempts and then hope to get enough Democrats to join them in impeaching Biden without justification. My guess is that would go as well as it did last time… There are enough Republicans sane enough to see how badly it will backfire and it won’t get past talking, regardless of who the Speaker of the House is. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-import-of-mike-johnsons-win-as-speaker-of-the-house/992097/32 "2023-10-25T22:24:18Z")
Early in this fiasco I expressed fears about the perils of a complete lunatic like Jim Jordan winning the speakership. I did not fully appreciate at the time what an asylum that place was, especially the Freedom Caucus. Is there, in fact, anything at all about Johnson that’s better than Jordan? From what I can tell Johnson is just Jim Jordan with a suit jacket. They are both deranged all-out Trumpists and election deniers. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-import-of-mike-johnsons-win-as-speaker-of-the-house/992097/33 "2023-10-25T22:25:59Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Is there, in fact, anything at all about Johnson that’s better than Jordan? No. He’s referred to as Jordan in drag. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-import-of-mike-johnsons-win-as-speaker-of-the-house/992097/34 "2023-10-25T22:34:44Z")
So I ask again from the main Speaker thread: there are a lot of folks there who seem to think we’ll get another Speaker battle sooner or later, but I don’t see it. It seems like Johnson is the type who will do exactly what the FC wants the way they want it, including an extended government shutdown, which again, they actually want. What reason is there to think that he’ll face any kind of intra party opposition? ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-import-of-mike-johnsons-win-as-speaker-of-the-house/992097/35 "2023-10-25T22:36:35Z")
If there is a long-term govt shutdown, do you think all the non-FC Repub house members will sit idly by? Or, use the same rule the FC used to easily oust McCarthy? And, sorry for carrying on this conversation over there. Oops! ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-import-of-mike-johnsons-win-as-speaker-of-the-house/992097/36 "2023-10-25T22:38:14Z")
The FC got exactly what they wanted with Johnson. So did Trump. It’s not the FC who will balk at Johnson’s agenda. It will be the so called “moderates,” who are already dead men walking in their moderate Biden districts back home. Backbone or no? Their track record is not reassuring. ---
**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 25, 2023, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-import-of-mike-johnsons-win-as-speaker-of-the-house/992097/37 "2023-10-25T22:38:18Z")
Those rules will allow Republicans who DON’T want a long shutdown to tell Johnson “fund a CR or I’m calling it and you’ll be out in a couple of days”. Will it work? Who knows if they’ll even try. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2023, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-import-of-mike-johnsons-win-as-speaker-of-the-house/992097/38 "2023-10-25T22:50:47Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Early in this fiasco I expressed fears about the perils of a complete lunatic like Jim Jordan winning the speakership. I did not fully appreciate at the time what an asylum that place was, especially the Freedom Caucus. Is there, in fact, anything at all about Johnson that’s better than Jordan? From what I can tell Johnson is just Jim Jordan with a suit jacket. They are both deranged all-out Trumpists and election deniers. Both are Trumpists and election deniers. But Johnson has a history of cutting deals. As head of the Republican Study Group he had to pull together consensus among the wingers. Wiki: > [@](#): > > Before his election to Congress, Johnson was a partner in the Kitchens Law Firm and a senior attorney and national media spokesman for the Alliance Defense Fund, now known as [Alliance Defending Freedom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alliance_Defending_Freedom).[[7]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Johnson_(Louisiana_politician)#cite_note-mjohnson-8) In 2015, Johnson founded _Freedom Guard_, a a non-profit legal ministry designed to represent Christian clients in lawsuits.[[8]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Johnson_(Louisiana_politician)#cite_note-:2-9) He was formerly chief counsel of the nonprofit law firm Freedom Guard.[[9]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Johnson_(Louisiana_politician)#cite_note-stimes-10) In this role, he defended government-provided [tax breaks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_break) for AIG’s Ark Encounter theme park in Kentucky. Johnson wrote a letter to the editor, stating:[[10]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Johnson_(Louisiana_politician)#cite_note-Reuters2015Ark-11)[[11]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Johnson_(Louisiana_politician)#cite_note-White2015Ark-12) Johnson had previously written for [Answers in Genesis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Answers_in_Genesis) (AIG)[[12]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Johnson_(Louisiana_politician)#cite_note-13)[[13]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Johnson_(Louisiana_politician)#cite_note-Pharyngula2023-14) and had represented them in other lawsuits.[[10]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Johnson_(Louisiana_politician)#cite_note-Reuters2015Ark-11)[[11]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Johnson_(Louisiana_politician)#cite_note-White2015Ark-12)[[13]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Johnson_(Louisiana_politician)#cite_note-Pharyngula2023-14) I look at that bio and perceive a professional movement conservative, as opposed to an assistant wrestling coach without the heft to negotiate or possibly understand moderately complicated legislation. If Johnson was a true believer there would be more indiscretions and volcanic comments to consider. As it is, a perceive him as a water carrier. The Christian Right should be ecstatic with this development, but I would expect that his mild temperament will serve him well among swing district reps. Johnson has a podcast, which will be a goldmine for oppo researchers. The fundamentals suggest continuing tensions between the FC and the normies over the medium term. But I suspect having scored a victory, the FC won’t make too much trouble for the rest of year. And 2024 is election season which will produce additional incentives for good behavior. 2025 could deliver the brass ring for the chaos coalition: minority status is favorable to whiners without clear ideas or viable legislative strategy. Or a Biden victory with continued mixed government and more of the same: I doubt whether Johnson can overcome the GOP’s centrifugal forces. But that’s unlikely as a Biden victory would probably flip the House. The 3rd scenario is a recession followed by a Trump victory (and gains in GOP House seats), which would also solve the FC’s problems. So on average things look good for avoiding government shutdown: challenges for our democratic experiment will either be substantially less or a great deal more. ---
**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 26, 2023, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-import-of-mike-johnsons-win-as-speaker-of-the-house/992097/39 "2023-10-26T02:42:38Z")
Johnson once wrote in support of the criminalization of gay sex, and said that allowing same-sex marriage would open the floodgates for polygamists, polyamorists, pedophiles, and people who want to marry their pets. > **[Speaker of the House Mike Johnson once wrote in support of the...](https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/25/politics/mike-johnson-gay-sex-criminalization-kfile/index.html)** > > Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has a history of harsh anti-gay language from his time as an attorney for a socially conservative legal group in the mid-2000s. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2023, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-import-of-mike-johnsons-win-as-speaker-of-the-house/992097/40 "2023-10-26T03:26:07Z")
CBC News has a good analysis of Mike Johnson aimed at the level of those who, like myself, didn’t know the first thing about the man before he won the speakership: > **[ANALYSIS | The U.S. House is now led by an election denier extraordinaire |...](https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/us-speaker-vote-johnson-1.7007651)** > > The U.S. House of Representatives is now led by an election denier extraordinaire. The new Speaker Mike Johnson is smart, friendly and conservative. He also worked hard to help Donald Trump overturn the 2020 vote. His surprise promotion ends a... [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-import-of-mike-johnsons-win-as-speaker-of-the-house/992097.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-import-of-mike-johnsons-win-as-speaker-of-the-house/992097.md?page=3)