# Will Kevin McCarthy be the next speaker? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 1, 2015, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121 "2015-10-01T10:36:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/181 "2015-10-09T16:54:02Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > The election for Speaker of the House is an election, remember. So it will have consequences - you just said so yourself. > > What those consequences are will depend on whose votes the winner has to buy, and with what promises. Sure, but there is no chance in hell that the next Speaker is going to promise, and I quote, “clean debt ceiling increases, clean continuing resolutions, and disbandment of the Benghazi witch hunt committee, plus whatever else Pelosi wants.” ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/182 "2015-10-09T17:03:15Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Sure, but there is no chance in hell that the next Speaker is going to promise, and I quote, > > “clean debt ceiling increases, clean continuing resolutions, and disbandment of the Benghazi witch hunt committee, plus whatever else Pelosi wants.” OK, so you’re just saying that the consequences of this election won’t be _quite_ that extensive. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/183 "2015-10-09T17:09:01Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > But there is no way the GOP doesn’t figure out a way to support one of its own before voting for Pelosi. That stuff is just pie-in-the-sky nonsense. How’s that lookin’ so far? ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/184 "2015-10-09T17:15:40Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Sure, but there is no chance in hell that the next Speaker is going to promise, and I quote, > > “clean debt ceiling increases, clean continuing resolutions, and disbandment of the Benghazi witch hunt committee, plus whatever else Pelosi wants.” Yes… insofar as, unless the relatively sane Republicans get Democratic help to save them from the bomb-throwing nihilists, there isn’t going to _be_ any “next Speaker” while their party retains a majority. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/185 "2015-10-09T17:29:11Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Sure, but there is no chance in hell that the next Speaker is going to promise, and I quote, > > “clean debt ceiling increases, clean continuing resolutions, and disbandment of the Benghazi witch hunt committee, plus whatever else Pelosi wants.” Spoiler alert: those are all things sane republicans actually want. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/186 "2015-10-09T17:35:46Z")
> [@Steve\_MB](#): > > Yes… insofar as, unless the relatively sane Republicans get Democratic help to save them from the bomb-throwing nihilists, there isn’t going to _be_ any “next Speaker” while their party retains a majority. What are you talking about? There will be a next Speaker, a Republican, within weeks at most. And their majority is secure until 2017, at least. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/187 "2015-10-09T17:41:05Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > Spoiler alert: those are all things sane republicans actually want. Cite that sane Republicans actually want “whatever else Nancy Pelosi wants.” ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/188 "2015-10-09T17:56:14Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Cite that sane Republicans actually want “whatever else Nancy Pelosi wants.” Cite that there are many (any) sane Republicans left in the House? (OTOH, Ryan is arguably sane for turning down the Speaker post.) ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/189 "2015-10-09T18:14:21Z")
What drives this liberal nuts, is wishing I saw evidence that the Dems are pursuing any short- or long-term strategy to take advantage of the Repubs’ disarray. Instead, I expect to see them dither around until Hillary (or some other high level Dem) commits some huge gaffe, allowing the Repubs to present their incompetence as “not so bad by comparison.” Certainly don’t see evidence of any underlying strategy similar to that that allowed the Repubs to attain and lock in their current advantages. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/190 "2015-10-09T18:18:43Z")
I’m confident Miss Nancy isn’t just sitting by the phone, waiting to be invited to the dance. Those who talk don’t know, and those who know don’t talk. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/191 "2015-10-09T18:18:59Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Sure, but there is no chance in hell that the next Speaker is going to promise, and I quote, > > “clean debt ceiling increases, clean continuing resolutions, and disbandment of the Benghazi witch hunt committee, plus whatever else Pelosi wants.” So you’re saying that we’ll get another scumsucker who puts party interest over the good of the country every time? Sounds about right for the GOP. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/192 "2015-10-09T18:24:27Z")
If we can’t get a Coalition of the Sane, let’s at least hope for Daniel Webster to get the job, so he can’t do much damage and so we can make jokes about his name. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/193 "2015-10-09T18:28:28Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > What drives this liberal nuts, is wishing I saw evidence that the Dems are pursuing any short- or long-term strategy to take advantage of the Repubs’ disarray. Instead, I expect to see them dither around until Hillary (or some other high level Dem) commits some huge gaffe, allowing the Repubs to present their incompetence as “not so bad by comparison.” > > Certainly don’t see evidence of any underlying strategy similar to that that allowed the Repubs to attain and lock in their current advantages. Seems to me that they are following the basic political rule of staying out of the way when the opposition is self destructing. But, I know that Hillary and the democrats already made advertisements about the great gift they got from McCarthy. [http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/hillary-clinton-kevin-mccarthy-benghazi-214453](http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/hillary-clinton-kevin-mccarthy-benghazi-214453) The buzz is clear in among the pundits, that McCarty gaffe was huge. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/194 "2015-10-09T18:34:58Z")
If they can’t coerce Paul Ryan into changing his mind I would put my money on Boehner being stuck with the job for the foreseeable future. I don’t think there will be a clear answer about this until sometime next week. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/195 "2015-10-09T19:08:22Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Sure, but there is no chance in hell that the next Speaker is going to promise, and I quote, > > “clean debt ceiling increases, clean continuing resolutions, and disbandment of the Benghazi witch hunt committee, plus whatever else Pelosi wants.” Do you see it as possible that the next speaker will promise any of those things? ---
**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 9, 2015, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/196 "2015-10-09T19:18:23Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > There is a certain poetic elegance to replacing a speaker who caused two government shutdowns with the last speaker to cause one. That’s why I thought that Newt could reach out to the wackos. But he’s still a realistic politician. The problem with all outsiders though, is that they don’t bring personal connections to the job. Newt has been out of the game for a while. > [@RTFirefly](#): > > Sometimes, even when you’re really not the right guy for the job, you’re still the best person available. (I have some recent personal experience with this that I won’t go into, fwiw.) And when that happens, you can step up, or you can be a dick. Those are Ryan’s choices right now. …and if Ryan runs for President again, people will remember. But let’s speculate about outsiders anyway. I nominate Arnold Schwarzenegger, formerly Republican governor of California. He could attract bipartisan support. And as a foreign born US citizen, this job is the highest office that he could aspire to. Former Republican mayor Michael Bloomberg is another possible candidate, but I think he’s too entrepreneurial for the Republican base. > [@GIGObuster](#): > > Seems to me that they are following the basic political rule of staying out of the way when the opposition is self destructing. But, I know that Hillary and the democrats already made advertisements about the great gift they got from McCarthy. > > [http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/hillary-clinton-kevin-mccarthy-benghazi-214453](http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/hillary-clinton-kevin-mccarthy-benghazi-214453) > > The buzz is clear in among the pundits, that McCarthy gaffe was huge. The very definition of a political gaffe: McCarthy accidentally told the truth. ---
**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 9, 2015, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/197 "2015-10-09T19:26:00Z")
Let’s go through the possibilities, in order of likelihood. **Likely** Boehner continues (say, past the end of November). Ryan caves and accepts the position. **Also possible** Some other House Republican pulls it together. **Not gonna happen, but fun to talk about** Newt Gingrich A House Democrat Another Outsider ETA: What are the odds of “Not gonna happen”? Less than 10% combined? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/198 "2015-10-09T19:56:54Z")
It’s weird to read about these fights from the RedState or Free Republic sides. they appear to be dubbing essentially every member of Congress who is not in the Freedom Caucus as either a Democrat or a RINO. But if you follow that thought to its logical conclusion (recognizing that politics ain’t always logical): “Vote for our candidates, because no one else will!” “This isn’t a grass roots effort, it’s grass root. One root. Singular.” “Listen to us because we are so few!” ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/199 "2015-10-09T20:19:58Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > It’s weird to read about these fights from the RedState or Free Republic sides. they appear to be dubbing essentially every member of Congress who is not in the Freedom Caucus as either a Democrat or a RINO. > > But if you follow that thought to its logical conclusion (recognizing that politics ain’t always logical): “Vote for our candidates, because no one else will!” “This isn’t a grass roots effort, it’s grass root. One root. Singular.” “Listen to us because we are so few!” Not really, from their pov all those RINOS got elected by pretending to be real conservatives and then betrayed the cause. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/200 "2015-10-09T20:21:03Z")
The perennial cry of the ideologues, claiming a superior right to rule because of their self-proclaimed moral purity. Therefore anyone with a different view must be immoral and undeserving and must be fought. Same old same old, except that it’s novel to have so many people who hate government itself \*inside \*government. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121.md?page=11)