The sinking showboat
There is an element in the Republican Party that is completely at peace with losing elections. All of them: Races for the White House. Congress. The speakership. You name it.
Former President Donald Trump lost to Joe Biden in 2020. No worries. Trump polls at 58% of support among Republican voters, according to the latest RealClearPolitics data.
(Jimmy Carter probably secretly wishes he were a Republican.)
So it should come as no surprise that earlier this month, House Republicans ousted Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the only Republican leader in a position to challenge President Joe Biden and the Democratic-controlled Senate.
They did it with eight GOP votes; McCarthy dubbed the octet "the crazy eights." Thank the House for adopting rules that allowed a rump of eight to block the will of some 200 House Republicans, with a joyful assist from House Democrats.
Talk about a rigged election.
Since then, the conference has been noodling over which GOP member deserves the dubious distinction of replacing McCarthy.
As a result, Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, wants to be the next speaker - which should scare you.
Jordan voted against certifying the 2020 election results for Arizona and Pennsylvania. As he's focused on winning the "mad as hell" vote, his legislative accomplishments have been subpar. The Lugar Center and McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University ranked only seven members below him in terms of effectiveness in 2021.
On Thursday, after losing two votes for the post, Jordan told his party he was suspending his campaign to be speaker and will support giving the interim speaker, Rep. Patrick T. McHenry of North Carolina, more authority temporarily. He said he will continue to try to build support for a later bid for the speaker's job.
Former Rep. Liz Cheney, a Wyoming Republican, warned on X, "Jim Jordan was involved in Trump's conspiracy to steal the election and seize power; he urged that (former Vice President Mike) Pence refuse to count lawful electoral votes."
(Yes, I know Republican voters don't like Cheney, but she's right.)
Michael Fanone, a former D.C. Metropolitan police officer who was injured during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, cautioned that Jordan "is an insurrectionist who has no place being second in line to the presidency," in a statement released by the anti-MAGA group Courage for America.
That's the best argument against Jordan: He should not be in the line of succession should the president and vice president be incapacitated. Unlike Pence, he has no center.
Former House Speaker John Boehner dubbed Jordan a "legislative terrorist." Probably because Jordan's playlist has one song - calling critics RINOs (Republicans in Name Only).
According to Axios, a staffer for Fox News host Sean Hannity sent messages to moderate Republicans asking them if they supported Jordan. Of course, Hannity is free to question elected officials about their choices, but this was an off-air exercise perceived as a pressure campaign.
Expect more such bullying if Jordan actually succeeds.
On CNN, Rep. Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican, revealed an anonymous text sent to his wife. "Why is your husband causing chaos by not supporting Jim Jordan? I thought he was a team player." It began. The texter also warned, "Your husband will not hold any political office ever again."
Bacon believes the tactic can backfire. On the second speaker vote to consider Jordan as speaker on Wednesday, two fewer Republicans supported Jordan.
"I believe he's done," Bacon told CNN Wednesday. He added, "We should clean the slate and start anew."
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