2022 Midterm Election MEGATHREAD

[The Larch]

Matt Gaetz just voted for Trump as new speaker, one day ahead of the January the 6th 2nd anniversary.

[Zanza]

Doesn't McCarthy have any dignity? How can you continue into the eighth round without any movement? 

[OttoVonBismarck]

Well McCarthy has literally been on his knees servicing every bad element of the GOP for about 7 years in dream of being the Speaker, so I assume he feels no compunction to save face. If he ends up walking away from this without the Speakership his political career is over--there's a non-zero chance he just resigns his House seat too.

[Barrister]

Doesn't McCarthy have any dignity? How can you continue into the eighth round without any movement? 

He really, really wants to be Speaker.  He wants the prestige, the bust, the gavel.

He already came close but lost out in 2015.  If not know he'll never get another chance.



I saw a post along the lines of "well European countries often go months after an election before a government is formed".  But it's already been 2 months since the election, and the GOP has an absolute majority in congress.

[Sheilbh]

Doesn't McCarthy have any dignity? How can you continue into the eighth round without any movement? 

I assume he washed that away when he decided to stay as a leading Republican during Trump's presidency.

Edit: But I agree - on a purely human level I don't understand putting up with this humiliation.

[Valmy]

If you ally yourself with Trump you have to be ready for humiliation. It just comes with the territory.

[Barrister]

What's been interesting is how irrelevant Trump has been to the whole proceedings.

I mean sure - he's endorsed McCarthy, several times, but some of the biggest Jan 6 election deniers are in the "no" camp and they don't seem to be facing any heat for defying Trump.

[HisMajestyBOB]

Seen elsewhere:
If I had a nickle every time McCarthy lost the vote to become Speaker, I'd have 35 cents. Which isn't a lot, but the fact that it's happened seven times is hilarious.

[The Minsky Moment]

Doesn't McCarthy have any dignity? How can you continue into the eighth round without any movement? 

Answers:
1. No.
2. He thinks he is playing a game of chicken and can get the other side to swerve first.  What he doesn't seem to get is that other side has already gone over the cliff cheering and pumping their fists.

[Zanza]

The twenty freedom caucus members seem to be principled within their own crazy world. They probably do not even perceive the situation as embarrassing and damaging for the party, but rather see themselves as resistance heros fighting the establishment. How would they ever vote for McCarthy?  That goes against their deepest political convictions.

[HisMajestyBOB]

Seen elsewhere:
If I had a nickle every time McCarthy lost the vote to become Speaker, I'd have 35 cents. Which isn't a lot, but the fact that it's happened seven times is hilarious.

Correction: 45 cents, going on 50.

[Syt]

 

[PDH]

Jesus, McCarthy has a worse record than Wyoming football...

[celedhring]

I saw a post along the lines of "well European countries often go months after an election before a government is formed".  But it's already been 2 months since the election, and the GOP has an absolute majority in congress.

Also this is the speakership, not the head of government. Even in hung parliaments this is more or less automatic in most places.

(Actually our system would have elected Jeffries since it just goes to top vote-getter, regardless of quorum)

[Barrister]

I saw a post along the lines of "well European countries often go months after an election before a government is formed".  But it's already been 2 months since the election, and the GOP has an absolute majority in congress.

Also this is the speakership, not the head of government. Even in hung parliaments this is more or less automatic in most places.

(Actually our system would have elected Jeffries since it just goes to top vote-getter, regardless of quorum)

That's kind of a whole different discussion, but yeah in a Parliamentary system the Speaker is nominally an apolitical position.  It goes to a partisan politician, but they don't vote unless to break a tie.  The equivalent to the "majority leader" is the important position.

But then again in a Parliamentary system you would whip this vote and call another election if you don't have majority support all while kicking out the recalcitrant members from running again.