3 ms·

His speakership was hanging by a thread from day 1. I don't see any path to a new Speaker so long as the Freedom Caucus are intent on watching the world burn.

• mrguyorama 3y ago
  They are okay with that, because in 40ish days that means the government shuts down, which means no more funding for Ukraine, which for some reason is really really important to the Freedom Caucus
• xeromal 3y ago
  He sold his soul to the devil to become speaker and the devil kicked him out
• mcphage 3y ago
  > I don't see any path to a new Speaker so long as the Freedom Caucus are intent on watching the world burn. Well, there’s always reaching across the aisle.
  • tootie 3y ago
    McCarthy had a chance to do that and came out saying he would not be willing to give Dems anything at all to save his job. Right now the GOP agenda is 100% anti-liberal politics. The impeachment hearings taking place with no credible evidence is exhibit A. Advocating a government shutdown is the other. Dems basic ask would just be "can we debate some actual legislation" and the answer from the right has consistently been "no". The GOP have a 9 vote majority, 1 of them is under indictment and 10 completely unreasonable maniacs who just want to cause chaos. It's crazy but the only plausible option I see right now is for 10 GOP moderates to back Hakeem Jeffries.
    • mcphage 3y ago
      > McCarthy had a chance to do that and came out saying he would not be willing to give Dems anything at all to save his job. Yup. Which seems dumb, but... y'know, maybe he didn't want to save his job? He probably didn't want to go out like this, but there's not too much shame in being ousted by crazies. He got his name on the list of speakers of the house, and maybe he just doesn't want to do it anymore. > It's crazy but the only plausible option I see right now is for 10 GOP moderates to back Hakeem Jeffries. I suspect that would be a bridge too far. But getting a small number of Democrats—especially in tight districts—to vote for a moderate Republican speaker, in exchange for some concessions, probably could happen. I don't know if it would—the new Speaker would probably also need to be in a district where having Democrat support isn't seen much as a bad thing, and probably need assurances that they wouldn't be primaried. On the other hand, courting that Democrat support might cost them enough GOP support that they'd never get elected anyway. I dunno, shit's complicated.
      • tootie 3y ago
        I think you are right. I think McCarthy straight up quit. As much as it sounds plausible for a handful of moderate Dems approving a moderate Repub, it won't happen. Not least of which because at least 10 Repubs won't support a moderate Repub. They'd need at least 20 Dems to cross the aisle for somebody truly trustworthy, respected and commanding and that person just doesn't exist. The only names besides McCarthy that have been floated are all far to the right of McCarthy who had already signed off of horribly objectionable policies (shutdown and impeachment). There's just nobody who can fit the bill in the GOP. After Hakeem Jeffries, the next most likely candidate would be like bringing Newt Gingrich in off the street.