Discussion Thread: 2023 US House Speaker Election, Day of October 25

48 comments

1. *rings bell*

   Bring out your dead…

   *rings bell*

2. I have a hard time believing news outlets saying “this time the vote will pass” without there being some kind of concession that we don’t know about yet.

3. Start the timer well see how long this one lasts

4. Here’s the [NYT Article](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/03/us/politics/republican-election-objectors.html) Cheney has referenced in regards to Johnson.

   He basically set forward the objection strategy for Congress by contending the pandemic policies were unconstitutional, giving several members a way to placate Trump without specifically supporting his conspiracy theories.

   3/4ths of all objectors would eventually cite his language with their vote to overturn the election.

   He was also instrumental in pushing the ludicrous Texas lawsuit.

   Fun stuff.

5. Don’t blame me, I voted for Kodos!

6. Mike “Dick “The Cock” Johnson” Johnson

7. Should I be more or less scared of this guy? How many Jordan’s is he? 0.6 Jordan’s, 2.5 Jordan’s?

8. I love it… nominating Mike Johnson is an acknowledgment by the GOP that they can’t govern without Trump’s approval, effectively making him the ‘shadow government’ they so often prop up as a boogeyman.

   It also means they have zero fucking chance of holding that party together once the convictions for Trump come through, and he loses the 2024 election by a wider margin than he lost in 2020.

   I still don’t think he’s going to actually get the votes needed, because at this point the entire party is in passive-aggressive retaliation mode so everyone wants to act as spoiler for everyone else. Safe money is still on us defaulting due to not having a Speaker (primarily) and due to GOP ratfuckery (secondarily) in backing out of an agreed-upon budget deal.

9. My personal theory is that Matt Gaetz started this whole mess because he knows some bad stuff is about to come out about him in the ethics report that’s due soon, and now that he’s raised his profile he’s going to say it’s a witch hunt, or a hit piece, or whatever sticks. All to distract from the actual results of the investigation.

10. The result of his election is pretty darn close to the result of no speaker at all. There will be no budget agreement. Zip for Ukraine, more madness. Just the way the seditionists want it

11. Any strong opposition members indicated so far ?

12. Oh boy, I can’t wait for today’s circus.

13. This dude is just as crazy as Gym Jordan

14. I just wish that republicans would nut up and announce the states they run are seceding so that the US could get back to having a functioning government.

15. I read somewhere a gop insider said they think Johnson will get the votes but also said after that “The GOP is fucked” because it’s beyond impossible to get anything done with all the different factions and settling for a speaker doesn’t solve the issues in the caucus. Johnson has no leadership experience and it’ll take weeks to get a full staff hired and the GOP has no time before the government would shut down.

16. Mike Johnson is a wild card to me. He voted lock step with the GOP to overturn the election, but two years ago while talking about what the GOP should do when they retake the house he talked at length about how Democrats are not the enemy and that Nancy Pelosi is a wonderful person that he has a good working relationship with. I have no idea what to expect from him as Speaker.

    https://twitter.com/patriottakes/status/1717006145833804105

17. If they couldn’t float Jordan through, I don’t think they can float this asshole through

18. Do we know the amount of current potential no votes against Johnson?

19. I think this dude might actually have it

20. I’m really nervous that this is going to be it, and that it will be worse than if they had chosen Jim Jordan.

21. Republicans: We are the party of LAW and ORDER!

    Also Republicans: But, if you are not a traitor to the US Constitution then you can’t even think about being speaker.

22. [removed]

23. I’m holding out hope that some of the McCarthy voters keep holding out to keep Johnson out. Many of them didn’t follow his endorsement for Jordan, and they were stubborn enough to vote for him even in the closed door meeting when there was no point to it. Fingers crossed they’re just quieter about their opposition in the news than MAGA but still vote against Johnson.

24. I’m sure it’s mostly procedural, but I think the huge delay to the afternoon is a mistake. Keep the momentum and do the vote in the morning. This delay just gives people time to throw wrenches into the plan or to hear from constituents and change their mind. It only takes four.

25. I think Mike Johnson has a realistic chance.

26. I’m gonna call my shot, at risk of being proven a fool, and say that Mike Johnson gets elected speaker on the second ballot of the day. No one is going against him on the record, and we have no idea of any of the absentees are against him either.

27. Interestingly, CNN says Johnson’s spending plan to keep the government open is another CR. On the surface, that makes sense given the time wasted, but it’s hilarious given that this is what got Kevin canned, and Johnson voted against the last CR . . .

28. One serious question to the DOJ. Why do you constantly and consistently allow politicians, corporations and the rich who helped and funded the terrorism of Jan 6th off the hook?

    Oh my bad, I forgot they’re not poor and [regulatory capture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regulatory_capture) is in full effect.

29. This scene from Blazing Saddles is exactly what I’m picturing happening right now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NaQxUEfxt0

30. “This guy Mike Johnson is a lunatic but he HAS at least communicated with Democrats”. You’re seeing them try to smuggle this fascist in because, well, at least he isn’t Jim Jordan! This country’s federal government institutions are fucked.

31. I don’t think voting to overturn the election was the dealbreaker for the 26 anti-Jordan GOP members. I think they just couldn’t stand him as a person.

    They were all on board with McCarthy who tried to overturn the election too. They seem to be all onboard for this Johnson guy too.

32. GOP is in a No True Scotsman Death Loop and tbh I am very here for it.

33. Meanwhile over on conservative their biggest issue today is a partnership between ufc and bud light.

34. Is the vote still at noon?

35. It’s amazing how a few people can cripple the government of a country filled with 350,000,000+ people..

36. Why is the title so bad for these posts? Who says day of October 25? Literally no one.

37. https://www.vox.com/2022/8/26/23322761/cnn-john-malone-david-zaslav-chris-licht-brian-stelter-fox-peter-kafka-column

    Yeah, CNN is a republican propaganda arm just like Faux News. Thanks for deleting your comment after I provided receipts.

38. Anything could happen, but I think Johnson’s got it. There are reports that those who opposed Jordan are rallying behind him, and Trump “strongly suggests” people vote Johnson. I think there’s enough exhaustion to end this, and Johnson seems more palatable to all involved (for some reason).

39. GOP pundits are sounding pretty confident that Johnson has this unfortunately

40. Yay, they settled on a election denying, sedition plotting idiot from LA. Republicans make Idiocracy seem like a documentary.

41. All the hardcore MAGA defendants are pleading guilty to lying about 2020, and the leading candidate for House speaker was one of the big lies biggest proponents and won’t admit it was all a scam.

    It’s like their mental GPS keeps rerouting, yet in Johnson’s case, he’s still needing the wifi signal.

42. I wonder how long he’ll last if he even gets elected. One wrong move, and they might vote to remove him again.

43. Isn’t a CR a deal breaker for the freedom caucus or is okay since he’s part of the freedom caucus

44. If the House can’t do anything without a speaker (except vote on a speaker) is this their plan for January 6, 2025 if they’re still in power?

    No speaker so they don’t have to certify the election results.

45. Why would centrist Republicans vote for Johnson but not Jordan? He isn’t any better. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t scream as loud.

46. Ah shit here we go again

47. Welp I’ll be able to see today’s!

48. As a reasonably informed international observer, I thought I’d give you all my responses to each stage of the GOP’s infighting over this. I hope that this in-depth analysis from an outsider is useful

    >Steve Scalise is the new Republican nominee for Speaker.

    I don’t know who the fuck that is.

    >Steve Scalise once called himself “David Duke without the baggage.”

    Jesus fucking Christ.

    >Jim Jordan is the new Republican nominee for Speaker.

    I wish I didn’t know who the fuck that was.

    >Jim Jordan is losing more votes every ballot.

    Yes… Hahaha… ***Yes!***

    >Tom Emmer is the new Republican nominee for Speaker.

    I don’t know who the fu-

    >Tom Emmer has withdrawn from the race.

    Ohhh, he was the disposable comic relief character. I assumed that’s what the dude in the bowtie was for.

    >Mike Johnson is the new Republican nominee for Speaker.

    I don’t know who the fuck that is.