McCarthy loses Speaker vote 3 times…

[oze]

You won't. Medicare can't pay for itself, let alone anything else

Yup.

 

[DragonGunner]

I want a speaker nomination for Chuck Norris. Somebody call Gaetz.

 

[DragonGunner]

They're nowhere near it. See the 34th Congress:

Speaker Elections Decided by Multiple Ballots | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives

The House has elected a Speaker 129 times since 1789. The Speaker is elected at the beginning of the new Congress by a majority of the Representatives-elect from a selection of candidates nominated on the floor prior to the vote. Usually, those candidates are chosen separately by the majority-...

history.house.gov

McCarthy will need 123 more ballots to break the current record.

So then by next week?

 

[TheTrooper]

I'm not going to look up every one of these, but I did check on the House vote on HR 51, granting DC statehood. It passed on strictly party lines. Every donkey voted for it, every elephant (including McCarthy) voted against it.
Nor can I find anything about McCarthy voting to "use Medicare to fund USPS", other than a tweet that is now making the rounds via copy/paste.

In my opinion, we don't do our side any favors by spreading unsubstantiated tweets and memes. I'm sure that there are legitimate reasons to oppose McCarthy for Speaker; let's see them.

There were inaccuracies. I pulled it. Your point is valid.

 

[Twangbanger]

I don't get this. If McCarthy is the "non-MAGA" Speaker candidate that must not be seated, why has Trump himself endorsed him for Speaker? Twice.

Trump doubles down on support for Kevin McCarthy as House speaker

The former president also spoke to some lawmakers by phone Tuesday.

www.nbcnews.com

Explaining Trump picks is a fool's errand after Herschel Walker, but Trump is a strategic thinker when his own interests are at stake, and I think there are some principles which help explain the decision:

1) In cases where the outcome is not much in doubt, he has a history of padding his win record by endorsing people who are heavily favored to win anyway. The real problem here is, who could Trump endorse, if nobody else really wants the job or is actively campaigning for it? Anybody he picks - other than McCarthy - is an almost certain addition to his personal "loss" column, because nobody wants the actual job.

2) Trump doesn't need competition for the Leadership of the MAGA movement. Look at what happened with DeSantis. Trump endorsed him, gave him a leg-up in a tight race he almost lost...and DeSantis has been draining the spotlight away from Trump ever since. Trump fully realizes there is a palpable desire for someone to replace him at the head of the MAGA movement. If somebody on the "Resist" side were to actively campaign for the Speaker job, and get it, it would demonstrate the MAGA movement can accomplish its goals without Trump. Which in my opinion, does not benefit Trump when he's running for President. His brand-identity towards his personality-cult followers is "Only I Can Fix It." To maintain his relevance within the GOP, he needs to keep that 30% core of his true-believers thinking there is really no hope outside of him. Viewed through this lens, someone like Jim Jordan seeking and landing the position would drain spotlight away from Trump.

McCarthy getting the position, on the other hand, will antagonize Trump's followers. It won't matter to them that Trump endorsed it, because they have an incredible ability to explain-away his apparent mis-steps. In the end, a McCarthy speakership will enrage them that "The Swamp Won Again," and will further convince them Trump is the Way, the Light, and the Hope. The fact he endorsed it won't matter. As long as he holds onto that 30%, he maintains his personal "spoiler" role in the GOP and can still garner the spotlight. But he needs to use that leverage wisely, by not assisting potential competitors.

In the end, it's all about what supports the perpetuation of Trump's personal brand. Which, in each political moment, may be something different than what benefits the rest of us. I still think it would have been better all-around for Trump to simply stay silent in the Speaker fiasco. But since the Speaker fiasco is the "Big Story" right now, he is going to be expected to comment on it. So he has to "answer the mail" in a way which benefits him best.

Trump draws his energy from The Swamp, the same way a hurricane draws its energy from the ocean. Anything which perpetuates The Swamp, also perpetuates Trump. His personality-cult followers and their sense of enragement about The Swamp is what keeps him relevant. Viewed in this manner, his endorsements make more sense.

 

[MCgrease08]

Pretty good analysis twangbanger.

 

[Ingomike]

If one thinks there are ANY altruistic candidates out there, that person is a fool. At the end of the day we are looking for candidates that what they want coincides with what we want. The governing actions of Trump as President certainly coincided with what I wanted and I hope he can do more…

 

[KG1]

Explaining Trump picks is a fool's errand after Herschel Walker, but Trump is a strategic thinker when his own interests are at stake, and I think there are some principles which help explain the decision:

1) In cases where the outcome is not much in doubt, he has a history of padding his win record by endorsing people who are heavily favored to win anyway. The real problem here is, who would Trump endorse, if nobody else really wants the job or is actively campaigning for it? Anybody he picks - other than McCarthy - is an almost certain addition to his personal "loss" column, because nobody wants the actual job.

2) Trump doesn't need competition for the Leadership of the MAGA movement. Look at what happened with DeSantis. Trump endorsed him, gave him a leg-up in a tight race he almost lost...and DeSantis has been draining the spotlight away from Trump ever since. Trump fully realizes there is a palpable desire for someone to replace him at the head of the MAGA movement. If somebody on the "Resist" side were to actively campaign for the Speaker job, and get it, it would show the MAGA movement can accomplish its goals without Trump. Which in my opinion, does not benefit Trump when he's running for President. His brand-identity towards his personality-cult followers is "Only I Can Fix It." To maintain his relevance within the GOP, he needs to keep that 30% core of his true-believers thinking that there is really no hope outside of him.

Someone like Jim Jordan seeking and landing the position would drain spotlight away from Trump. McCarthy getting the position, on the other hand, will antagonize Trump's followers, and further convince them Trump is the Way, the Light, and the Hope.

In the end, it's all about what supports the perpetuation of Trump's personal brand. Which, in each political moment, may be something different than what benefits the rest of us.

There are Trump followers that find displeasure with Trump and are baffled that he is siding with the establishment RINO's by backing McCarthy and I would be willing to bet that they would rather see him back someone like Jordan.. There are a few hardcore Trump supporters on this forum that have come out and voiced their displeasure. Now do I think it is a deal breaker for them? No, I don't but there is that.

 

[mmpsteve]

As much as I despise some of the RINO swamp creatures, I have to begrudge them some respect. I can't imagine the exhaustion of a full day of proceedings, then a full night of backroom deal-making. I guess some personalities thrive on all the social interaction, but I personally couldn't stomach it.

.

 

[Twangbanger]

As much as I despise some of the RINO swamp creatures, I have to begrudge them some respect. I can't imagine the exhaustion of a full day of proceedings, then a full night of backroom deal-making. I guess some personalities thrive on all the social interaction, but I personally couldn't stomach it.

.

Oh, McConnell is legendary. He's the most piggish sort of swamp-swine I can imagine. And yet, look what he did stiffing Merrick Garland, and pushing Gorsuch/Kavanaugh/Barrett through, against tremendous opposition. It takes a sort of almost sociopathic focus to be that effective in that environment. He has similarities to Trump in that regard. The difference is, McConnell's sociopathy is of a type which allows him to change his spots like a chameleon in order to draw energy from his surroundings, whatever they are at the moment. Trump on the other hand, requires a certain set of conditions to draw energy from, and when those conditions go away, he has to go "dormant" like he is now.

 

[KG1]

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) gets it.

 

[Mij]

Watching the nominations for the 12 attempt, it a circus!

 

[jwamplerusa]

it a circus!

Well... it's Congress, so yeah it is a circus.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

 

[TheTrooper]

Eye patch McCain is not backing down.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

 

[KG1]

Well at least we'll get a baker's dozen out of this. (13)

 

[KLB]

Buying votes one at a time

 

[cg21]

Pretty sure DC statehood isn't in any omnibus budget bill.

Sorry apply purple where needed.

 

[Super Bee]