# 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:** 9
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/161 "2015-10-09T13:21:55Z")
It’s nearly time for Nancy Pelosi to name her price. Allow enough Ds to vote for a moderate Republican Speaker to serve in a caretaker role until after the 2016 elections, in return we get clean debt ceiling increases, clean continuing resolutions, and disbandment of the Benghazi witch hunt committee, plus whatever else Pelosi wants. ---
**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, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/162 "2015-10-09T13:22:02Z")
> [@crucible](#): > > the moderate R’s threatening to caucus with the D’s. Have you seen anything of the sort from \*them \*yet, or only speculation by people as ignorant of the inside dealings as we are? ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/163 "2015-10-09T13:24:34Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > It occurs to me that Jon Stewart isn’t doing anything these days. I almost think Comedy Central execs are walking up and down his street, kicking rocks, and on occasion calling up to his window, _“You know… Its not too late… It’s your choice, Jon. It’s always been your choice…”_ ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/164 "2015-10-09T13:29:12Z")
Nah. Most people like Trevor. Besides, there’s nothing worse than a guy who retires and then comes back. Just ask a wrestling fan. ---
**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, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/165 "2015-10-09T14:05:11Z")
Or Brett Favre. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/166 "2015-10-09T14:16:37Z")
Brett Favre still hasn’t figured that out. ---
**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, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/167 "2015-10-09T14:34:41Z")
[Rich Lowry](http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/425297/speaker-ryan): “The only Republican who does not want Paul Ryan to become the next House speaker, it seems, is Paul Ryan.” If that’s the case, chances are Ryan will reluctantly accept the job sometime in the next few days. My take is, this would be a great thing for the GOP, because it would resolve the leadership dilemma that otherwise threatens to become a long-running soap opera. And it’s bad for the country, for the same reasons. Because, from my ideological perspective, the most important thing is for the country to see the GOP as it is. If Ryan brings order out of chaos, this teachable moment goes away. In all likelihood, he’d be able to convince them to not shut down the government in December, but instead appear responsible in order to increase the chances that they can win the White House and hold the Senate next November, at which point they’d be in a position to gut the government as they please. And ‘as they please’ covers far more ground than most Americans realize, thanks to our ‘both sides do it’ media. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/168 "2015-10-09T14:40:11Z")
I thought Ryan was unpopular with the Teahadists. ---
**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, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/169 "2015-10-09T14:47:38Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > It’s nearly time for Nancy Pelosi to name her price. Allow enough Ds to vote for a moderate Republican Speaker to serve in a caretaker role until after the 2016 elections, in return we get clean debt ceiling increases, clean continuing resolutions, and disbandment of the Benghazi witch hunt committee, plus whatever else Pelosi wants. There is no price that can top watching the opposing party destroy itself, specially when you won’t get any of the blame for the fallout. Pelosi could help them now, or take over in 2016. ---
**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, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/170 "2015-10-09T14:51:01Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I thought Ryan was unpopular with the Teahadists. We may find out pretty soon. [Jonathan Chait argues](http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/10/why-republicans-need-paul-ryan-as-house-speaker.html) that the Teahadists trust his ideological purity, and because of that, they’d be willing to go along with his tactical judgment for now. I’m hoping Chait’s wrong, but I’m scared that he’s right. ---
**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, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/171 "2015-10-09T15:12:33Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > It’s nearly time for Nancy Pelosi to name her price. Allow enough Ds to vote for a moderate Republican Speaker to serve in a caretaker role until after the 2016 elections, in return we get clean debt ceiling increases, clean continuing resolutions, and disbandment of the Benghazi witch hunt committee, plus whatever else Pelosi wants. It is not the job of the Speaker of the House (of either party) to give the minority party whatever they want. Elections have consequences, remember? ---
**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, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/172 "2015-10-09T15:20:21Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > It is not the job of the Speaker of the House (of either party) to give the minority party whatever they want. Elections have consequences, remember? It is if you have to beg the minority party to make you speaker. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/173 "2015-10-09T15:21:57Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Elections have consequences, remember? Like your party eating itself, apparently. 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. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/174 "2015-10-09T15:35:26Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > It is not the job of the Speaker of the House (of either party) to give the minority party whatever they want. Elections have consequences, remember? It’s like this- you’ve got about 40 batshit crazy Republicans who won’t vote for anybody for Speaker who doesn’t intend to burn the place down. They can’t be reasoned with. So if you want a Speaker, you’ll need a few Democratic votes. Those votes will come at a price. Electing terrorists has consequences. ---
**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, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/175 "2015-10-09T15:35:45Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > It is if you have to beg the minority party to make you speaker. That hasn’t, and won’t happen. ---
**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, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/176 "2015-10-09T15:40:11Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > That hasn’t, and won’t happen. Probably not no, but it has a higher chance of happening than getting someone from the terrorist caucus. We are likely getting Ryan, or Boehner has to stay longer than he hoped. ---
**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, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/177 "2015-10-09T16:36:15Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > It is not the job of the Speaker of the House (of either party) to give the minority party whatever they want. Elections have consequences, remember? 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. ---
**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, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/178 "2015-10-09T16:37:42Z")
Looks like Paul Ryan is [still saying ‘no.’](http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/paul-ryan-not-running-speaker) ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/179 "2015-10-09T16:43:06Z")
> [@Balance](#): > > Part of me wonders if he anticipated all of this, and if it was the point of the whole gambit. He demonstrates that the loons can’t replace him, then he plays staying on and retaining the gavel as a sacrifice. He works with the non-insane elements of his party and with the Democrats to get some actual governing done. Maybe he leaves at the end of his term, with some fresh accomplishments and bipartisanship (however minor) to put a shine on his last days in office. > > I don’t actually believe it, but it would be quite a maneuver. It’s almost like a plot point on House of Cards. But people are speculating more and more that Boehner actually may stay on as Speaker because he did say (which a lot of folks ignored in his resignation speech) that he’d step down only after a new Speaker was elected… which may not happen any time soon. ---
**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, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121/180 "2015-10-09T16:43:53Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > I would just like to note that I am rooting hard for Chaffetz. > [@adaher](#): > > Chaffetz seems to be the most plausible guy left standing who is actually willing to take the job. What an odd coincidence that you think both of these things. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-kevin-mccarthy-be-the-next-speaker/733121.md?page=10)