True, but if you can be unseated by any 5 people, and you have only a 5 person majority…
Kevin McCarthy failed to get House speaker votes. In fact, Hakeem Jeffries received more than he did
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Others have answered, but I guess to add: Jeffries has received more votes than McCarthy in every round so far. He’s received 212 in every round (all democrats) compared to McCarthy’s 203 in rounds 1 and 2, and 202 in round 3. But that was a plurality of the votes, not a majority of the votes. 218 is the magic number for crossing that 50% majority line. If people vote present or no show instead, it lowers that magic number, enough people would need to do that so that 212 is the majority line rather than merely the plurality.
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For the non-Americans, can someone explain this process? Are they literally just voting over and over again hoping for a different outcome? Is there at least some debating or a river card in between rounds that might alter the outcome?
If not, this seems…. really stupid. I mean, not that Canada’s political system is some sort of paragon of rational design either, but it’s helpful to understand how each system is differently stupid.
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Theoretically, deals and negotiations would be made. “Vote for me, and we’ll bring [your pet legislation] to committee” or whatever. But when the Other Side has been demonized for so long and so loudly, any compromise now looks like weakness.
Nose removal for face-spiting, US Gub’mint style.
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As @anon75574637 said, there are ongoing negotiations. But the underlying problem is that there are essentially three factions choosing a speaker (Dems, Reps, Rep splinter faction) and any two of them have a blocking veto over the third. So unless McCarthy can win over the splinter faction (unlikely, they look solid) or the Dems (who are enjoying popcorn) then it’s deadlocked. I’d guess the likely endgame is that McCarthy sees the writing on the wall and withdraws in favour of another Rep (possibly Scalise, his deputy) and the splinterers claim victory. In less partisan times the obvious answer is a deal between the Reps and the Dems for Dem abstention in favour of something relatively minor. But I don’t see that happening here.
The actual process of trying to get support for a leader against potential blocking majorities isn’t that unusual in Parliamentary systems with many parties. It’s also not that dissimilar to the process for electing a pope, where voting continues until a candidate has 50% (at least; it’s more in the early rounds). And the longest papal election process in history took nearly three years, so…
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From the hour’s headline, apparently he’s hoping for Option C: Take a time-out, come back later. Adjourn. But that won’t happen.
Edit: Nevermind. Just checked again, they’re going for a fourth nomination of McCarthy. Wow.
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Seems like a nice prank would be for the Dems to vote for an (R) who was only going to get a couple votes anyway, and propel him/her to the speakership. For laughs.
ETA: There ya go. Someone nominated Rep.-elect Byron Donalds (R-Fla.). Dems should vote and put him in place. First African American speaker, with the help of Dems.
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and it’s not like mccarthy has been working for the anerican people. there was a brief moment last year when he seemed to turn away from ■■■■■. if he’d kept that up, and worked to hold the failed ex president accountable, i could see the democrats stepping aside.
i think it’s not just something like “what have you done for democrats lately” but more “what have you done for democracy lately”
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" Before the election was even called, Rep. Donalds was pushing lies about the validity of the outcome, tweeting that “it is critical that we have the resources to fight back against the Left’s attempt to overthrow election integrity"
Fuck that guy
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Sure, but if the Republicans want chaos, give it to them. You think McCarthy will be any better? Any different?
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“People will be so fed up with Nero as emperor, they will demand the return of the Republic”
“People will tire of this Hitler guy and we Junkers will be back in power again”
“Trump will polarize the nation so much that Bernie Sanders will be the next president”
Deadlock is better at this point than anyone the GOP has in their stables
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For real. And honestly, didn’t even need to see this story to know he was trouble. Just listened to the person who was speaking on his behalf/promoting his nomination.
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There was a story on NPR today that really did a good job of summarizing just how many times McCarthy has sold his soul in his years-long personal ambition to become speaker. The end result is that nobody on either side believes that he’s sincere in his statements or has any fundamental principles that he’ll stick to, and nobody respects him.
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esh. McCarthy is a guy who will sit by and let those sh/ts get away with whatever, just to keep his position. This guy will have to be in the sunlight if he’s going to lead the charge.
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How about John James (R-MI) if you really think nominating a black man is the way to go. He is 100% unqualified for the position he was elected to (first election win, ever, for anything) and has no idea what he’s doing, but hasn’t made noise about election denial. Ultimate chaos!
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4th round of voting is currently in progress but Donalds already received 5 votes which means that McCarthy won’t win this round either.
Edit to add livestream:
Final vote count: 20 for Donalds, 212 for Jeffries, 201 McCarthy, 1 “present.” So McCarthy lost one additional vote this time.
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Oh hell no.
That was the rationale that got us TFG. Take every vote seriously.
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Except the TFG thing was between two candidates who actually were vastly, objectively different. These two are int he same party, supporting roughly the same goals. Different? Sure, by small degrees. But both will support tax cuts for the rich, further incursions on free speech, national bans on reproductive rights, and all that other Republican nonsense.
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Keep going as it is, and there’s a chance the republicans screw up enough that Jeffries gets in. That’s objectively different. They’re better staying on the current course.
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