I thiink its time to short the S&P 500.
Shut down here we come.
No way they elect anybody now.
Preceding open question: Can every Speaker (or every GOP Speaker) still be called to be vacated by 1 Representative? Because I wouldn’t be surprised if Gaetz and Jordan will fuck things up again by challenging any elected Speaker. I don’t know if they changed House procedure or GOP procedure only, and if it was only for McCarthy.
Democrats have nothing to gain from electing a Republican, without concession. Jordan and Gaetz are already running excellent propaganda for them entering an election year. Although it will harm the country, if the Republicans shut down the government again, let alone not even elect a Speaker entering the shutdown, Democrats will gain massively. They own all the optics right now except in far-right spheres where they blame Democrats for shutting down the House.
That said, some Republicans are allegedly dealing for a consensus candidate. The Democrats won’t do that without notable concessions, beginning at the bipartisan Senate deal McCarthy already reneged on. After McCarthy’s shitty behavior, Democrats will be skittish to fold and give a gift to Republicans in exchange for potentially nothing again.
I’m torn on this, as I don’t want a shutdown for the country, but also the phrase “we do not negotiate with terrorists” hyperbolically sticks in my mind.
I think the “it only takes one” measure was written into House rules for this Congress, but I could be mistaken. Presumably the House could amend that rule, but if they did it would have been moderately big news for one cycle.
I agree, but I think an argument could be made that unless they support a moderate Republican, they may end up with a Speaker who takes a much, much worse tack from the Dems’ perspective.
In other words, I think that by sticking with Jeffries, they’re taking a stance on principle for the party that potentially f***s the country.
That sort of stance would be a perfect example of why I am disgusted with the current state of partisan politics in the US.
I wish I could find some type of approval survey of Jordan, Gaetz, et. cronies. I suspect it’s quite low, on a national level.
Maybe this is just my definite liberal bias talking, but the more those fools speak, the better I see Democrat’s election chances.
Though yes, I agree with you our politics are detrimental for the company, given the spot we’re in, I don’t see a better Democratic play than to microwave popcorn and ride it out. The Senate is still sitting with their prior bipartisan deal and consensus between McConnell and Biden, among others, to fund both Ukraine and Israel aid. Democrats are sitting by waiting to strike a deal. Jordan and Gaetz are attacking their own party and endangering the country.
Could Democrats capitulate and seek less than what they want to save the Republicans? Yeah, immediately, because they’re united. Or the GOP can stop throwing a public tantrum and fund the country.
If Republicans would nominate someone moderate who was willing to reach across the aisle on more than a perfunctory basis, I suspect Jeffries would say “OK, let’s help them get into the Speaker’s chair.” However, that person will never get put forward by Republicans and so there’s zero incentive for Democrats to vote for whoever the Republicans nominate knowing that person will immediately be Lucy [not the Lucy here, … you know which Lucy I’m talking about] pulling the football away.
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We need a Romney type person to go full RINO and get most of his votes off Democrats
Liz Cheney? I could actually see Democrats and a handful of safe moderates going for her. Should she even accept it.
I’m still no fan of Liz’s politics, but she’d be way better than any of the candidates being discussed so the Dems would probably go for it as she was one of two in the “bi-partisan” J6 committee.
But I thought she said she wasn’t interested.
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Why does this matter? They do not get elected nationally. Their shit-hole districts, and those of the other traitors, will re-elect them. I mean, check their scandals and how much their districts care. Maximum tears extraction from libs.
The only way they get bounced is if the GOP stops funding their campaigns in the primaries. And, even that did happen, Trump and his traitorous followers will fund their campaigns.
While I don’t expect a diehard Republican to be worried about sexual assault scandals or outright assholery, I have a feeling that Americans, to the extent they pay any attention, are not happy with Jordan/Gaetz and therefore the GOP.
Just today I looked up opinions about the lockdown and Republicans are pretty much gridlocked on “compromise” versus “shut the government down if we don’t get an extremist”. So, I think even part of the traditional GOP is getting tired of their bratty children. I know my parents were always-vote-Republican until Trump came around, now I think they pick and choose their votes. I know they’ve said enough things about Trump being vile that they’ll never go for him or a close ally.
This much is obvious.
But, we’ll have to draw a map of districts that could turn D as a result of this assholery. Their’s won’t. It is possible that some districts turn even more assholery by primarying out their “RINO” Reps because of traitor money.
I’m fully expecting Boebert gone, next election. Won by something like 800 votes, then groped a drag-show-hosting Democrat? I think 800 people will be swayed.
This is one (of many things) that puzzles me about US politics. I understand these people getting elected the first time because they have no record to run on but how do they keep getting re-elected when they don’t achieve anything positive after they are elected? Why is there no punishment by the voters for poor performance? Maybe too many die-hard Republicans in their district who will vote for anyone running under the R banner?
Maybe one more difference between the Canadian and US systems. We have very few voters who are registered in any party so more voters change the party they vote for from election to election.
Need to know what the Dems and their SPACs are doing in these districts. Can’t just sit back. Need to keep reminding the voters what assholes they are.
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Agreed. Her challenger is going to hammer that home 24/7.
Thing is…you don’t have to be nominated to receive votes for Speaker.
I could imagine non-hardcore Dems identifying a Republican congressperson who wasn’t rabid and voting for them. If moderate and pragmatic Republicans caught on and also voted for them (either on that ballot or on a subsequent ballot)…
I don’t think that’s going to happen. But I do think it would make sense in a “find the least evil option” kind of way.
This surprised me.
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/10/24/us/house-speaker-vote
Even if Hakeem Jeffries goes in front of a microphone and says every Democrat will vote for her and all the House Democrats stand behind him and nod their approval while holding signs, “I SUPPORT LIZ CHENEY FOR SPEAKER”, she’ll still get exactly 0.00 votes from Republicans.
And, the House isn’t going to vote to change the requirement to get to a plurality.
Ergo, she’s never going to be Speaker in this Congress.
True, but who are the Democrats going to vote for as a unified block that’s not a Democrat that they can peel off ~4 Republicans to also vote for?
That’s really the key question. The answer right now is “no one,” nominated or not. But Republican willingness to put forward someone who’s a moderate would be a step toward the Democrats and finding someone who could get to 217 - and if that happened and Democrats backed that person to be Speaker, it’s incredibly unlikely that person wouldn’t be formally nominated by someone on either side.
Emmers is a traditional conservative. Wouldn’t be surprised if certifying an election and voting for interracial marriage make him disqualified according to the “freedom” caucus and the Qanon wing.
Emmer seems like one of the least crazy, I wonder if Ds will reach out for concessions to not shut down the government and to at least “bring up a vote on including Ukraine aid” in exchange for canceling out Geatz and company.
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