House Speaker Ongoing Melodrama

[hollodero]

(10-04-2023, 10:36 AM)Nately120 Wrote: They offered to side with McCarthy and he said he wouldn't compromise.  I don't see how that would have been a good look for the already criticized for being spineless and weak democrats.


DEMS - We will protect you from your own party if you agree to work with us.
McCarthy - No.
DEMS - Ok, well we'll protect you anyways.

Is a democrat who votes for a republican who refuses to work with democrats even really a democrat?  As long as entire political parties are crossing the aisle, why not expect reasonable republicans to vote for Hakeem Jefferies?

Well, they're not that reasonable probably, and giving speakership to the minority party is an even steeper move. But in general, I would not know how what comes next betters things for democrats. The extremes in the GOP can take this as a win and now carry considerable power; and this strengthening their position is not ideal. Any next speaker, should one emerge, probably will not be one of the reasonable ones.

On the other hand, being ostentatiously merciful and give McCarthy just the handful of votes to narrowly stay in, imho that would make him look weaker than the Democrats. But maybe that is not true, I don't know.