>

"Democrats fall in love, Republicans fall in line." 
This is political theatre - expecting the Republicans to do anything other than posture and bluster before eventually capitulating is foolhardy. 
Doesn't mean I don't enjoy watching it, but any "pathway to Speakership" for Jefferies is akin to bringing back the "Here's How Bernie Can Still Win the Nomination" think pieces from 2015.
This is delicious. There are no good options for McCarthy. 


Adjourn and try to do some more backoffice deals and try again. Needs 218 votes to do that


Keep iterating this same vote over and over and slowly peel off Gop Opposition to eventually get to McCarthy. Oof, brutal "win" for McCarthy. But that is his best case scenario. 


Step aside and let Rs put up another name 218 can get behind. 


It is now a game of chicken. He lost 19 defectors in the first round. He needs 15 to come over to his side. >

Or democrats could try to peel off 6 R's. Sure, it's less likely, but in pure numbers it's in their favor, lol >

What happens in an R controlled congress with a D speaker!? >

Mostly the usual. Speaker puts votes up. People vote. Things happen. It'd be harder to get the votes together to make anything happen but that's all, really. Theoretically, at least. >

Yeah, true.  I'd wonder next about the re-electability of those 6 Rs at that point, but hey - they'd get 2 years to figure something out >

The Dems would probably have to pick one of those 6 to be speaker… it’s not going to be Jeffries. But if we can get someone less extreme and put Dems in more favorable committee assignments then it could still be a good thing. >


But if we can get someone less extreme

The extreme ones are the ones not backing McCarthy >

Sure. But there’s still a lot of Republicans that Dems would prefer a lot better than McCarthy. >

They all retired or got gerrymandered out by their own party. >

UPDATE: Tuesday, Jan 3, 2023 · 10:50:46 AM PST · Joan McCarter
Lots of milling around while they figure out what happens next. This is the first time in 100 years that a speaker wasn’t chosen in the first round
​
LOL Schadenfreude. >

So there’s no rule that forces an end to the process, could theoretically go on forever? What usually encourages people to change their vote, deal-making of some kind? >

Yep, no rule. They keep voting till someone has 218, nothing else can happen. >

Until someone has a majority of votes.  Big difference. >

Majority of named votes, present reduces the needed vote count. But we are getting pretty pedantic here. >

Maybe. This is an unusual situation, I could see it being resolved by some people abstaining. >

Possibly but I think that requires nuanced thinking and literally the whole problem is being caused by MAGA dipshits utterly lacking in that capacity.
I think they will dig in quite a bit longer and this will be ended by concessions not by abstentions.
The MAGA fucks are not angling for voters and support, they are in safe MAGA districts. They are angling to be closest to Trumps sweaty taint when they asskiss which presents entirely different dynamics. >

Let's hypothetically say MTG puts her name in the hat for speaker, and lord only knows why the Republicans look like they might get behind her, then I could see dems abstaining to let Mccarthy cross the finish line without explicit dem support. 
That particular hypothetical is unlikely, but the basic shape of that idea is how abstention might become important in this vote. That, or if they keep going and people leave to go to sleep, someone might sneak in during late night voting. >

The dems would be fools to help the GOP. If they want to let MTG make them all look like fucking buffoons never interrupt the enemy when they are making a mistake should be the play. >

I don't disagree, but I suspect some house members might. >

19 defections away from McCarthy. >

Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic Leader, got more votes (212) than McCarthy! 😆 >

Evidently, Jordan is trying to get all of his defectors over to McCarthy. >

Of course Gym Jordan is, Kevin promised him a choice committee chairmanship. >

And to probably stop the Ethics probe into him from the Jan. 6 committee. >

That's stopping no matter what. >

Theoretically the new Ethics Committee could reopen it once they are seated. >

The new ethics committee with a Republican majority that's chaired by a Republican?
And that's even if it survives at all?
Theories are nice but sometimes they don't point to realistic possibility. It's ok to acknowledge that.
That inquiry is dead no matter what happens.
Edit: and if Dems really wanted an inquiry, they could have done it themselves. But they didn't do it. Cause they're cowards. >

Couldn’t have happened to a bigger asshole >

Hey now, there are plenty of giant assholes to go around. >

I read that as “go aground” and then pictured a bunch of republicans rubbing their asses across a beach like a dog does when it has ass issues. >

I just hope all this bitter in-fighting will render the republican controlled house all but useless. Like, I'm hoping these debates stir up a lot of bad blood so they won't even be able to come up with a majority on most things. 
Claw each others' eyes out, burn bridges, cut your own legs out from under yourselves, Republicans. >


render the republican controlled house all but useless

That was already their plan. As it always is. >

And blame democrats for not being bipartisan. >

Once you let the dogs in the house it's hard to kick them out. 
The Republican Party can never be anything but a political party of ideological extremism. They did it to themselves. Now they can't even govern themselves without their mad dogs getting in the way, trying to make things worse. It's what you get when you go into bed with these ideological hardliners. >

Imagine the disgust Lincoln would have with what his party became. >

I really hope someone records and broadcasts him moving out of the speaker's office he's already moved into. That will be one of the most glorious walk of shames in history. >

Yes, but there is also the thought of Trump appearing in court under criminal indictments of all sorts. I have to keep that picture locked away in my head or I will cease to function. >

Or /and trump possibly occupying the Speaker office. >

Yes, I have heard that as an outside chance! omg. I do think that there are enough centrist Repubs to keep that from happening.  "May you live in interesting times," Chinese curse. It's been Interesting for about six years. >

Lol. Lmao even. >

An amused snort from this side of the pond. >

I nominate Liz Cheney, since the speaker doesn't need to be a member of Congress.  Semi-seriois. >

There is a non-zero chance that the moderate Republicans come to a deal with the Democrats and agree to that. If this looks to be shaping up to a months long battle (Nothing stops that from happening) then they might start looking for those type of solutions. >

The problem with this is that Cheney is an arch-conservative. She's probably more right wing than McCarthy. >

True, but Cheney was willing to speak out against her Fascist overlord before it became popular. Besides, Cheney is just an example-I'm sure there would be other options if it came to that. >

McCarthy is no "leader" at all. He is a wishy-washy "follower". >

First time this has happened in 100 years and the Democrats had the best mid term performance for the incumbent party in 80 years?  So much winning in MAGA world. >

Just lost the second vote, lol. >

Live reaction from the Democratic caucus. >

I will always upvote George of the Jungle >

"Since the Civil War, the House of Representatives has elected a new speaker on the first ballot in every instance except one, and that exception was 100 years ago." In fact it has only ever happened 14 times before this.
Shame. >

I really want to know why it took 133 votes that one time. >

Dems just need to peel off a handful of moderates and put forward Spanberger or Cuellar or someone like that. >

Doing that would guarantee those republicans lost their seat in the next primary. The republican base allows for no compromise. >

true, but they're culling more moderates every 2 years anyway.  Any republican that cares about governing has got to see the writing on the wall.  They might have a better shot switching parties and running as a moderate democrat if they actually want to pass laws. >

Hunter Biden strikes again! Lol >

Democrats should nominate him for speaker, just so he gets more votes than McCarthy! >

But he moved into the speaker's suite! >

We are watching live the destruction of the Republican Party. Yallqaeda is hijacking it. >

I’m really enjoying how the GOP is being ruled by a tyrannical minority. Taste of their own medicine. >

The Republican party has become an absolute mess. >

Has been for a while now honestly. >

…. And 2nd. Just vote Blue in 2024. Republicans cannot govern. >

As my kids would so eloquently say, “LOL! Get rekt!” >

Git gud >

Why do the extreme R's dislike McCarthy so much? >

While he’s willing to spew bullshit, he’s not willing to go full batshit. GOP is going apeshit while the whole country thinks this is dogshit >

So typical theatrics. These people seem to have no interest in actually governing. >

The GOP is a shitshow. And it’s well deserved. >

Uh oh! The clowns can’t decide on which clown should be in charge! >

They're getting a civil war; just not the one they openly called for. >

He fell short for the second one too lmao >

This means the republicans in the house are going to be pushed further to the far right and be pushing culture wars over policy. >

Have you been asleep for the last 10 years?
What policy, other than tax cuts for the rich, has a Republican proposed?
Edit: Repeal Obama Care was the other one, I guess. >

Deregulation of pretty much everything. >

Well, deregulation for them; regulation for everybody else.
Example:


Bakers descriminate against gays: ✅


Restaurants descriminate against MAGAs: ❌