House GOP Struggles

For John, BLUF:  When one has a slim majority in an elected body the power of the individual goes up substantially, as one or two votes become very important.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

Republicans debate. Democrats obey.

From an EMsail, by Reporter Glenn Greenwald, 3 January 2023.

Here is the lede plus two:

It is an article of faith in liberal Democratic circles that the Republican Party and the American right is a cult, a cult of personality, in which reverence for Donald Trump is required, no dissent from party orthodoxy is permitted, and everyone mindlessly and obediently falls into line behind their leaders whenever they're told, doing whatever they're told, without questioning any of it.

That's because American liberals are sophisticated.  They're well-educated and erudite, very rational, so, they know how to think for themselves.  They love to flatter themselves by reciting the 1930’s Will Rogers’ quote:  “I don't belong to any organized political party.  I'm a Democrat”.  They're just too thoughtful, too intellectually feisty to be controlled.  They're guided by science and the values of the Enlightenment.  They're profoundly individualistic and can't be herded or controlled.

The Conservatives, they're primitive.  They barely have functioning brains. That's why they go to two-year community college programs and learn how to fix cars, and are plumbers, or sell boats.  They're simple-minded, even religious.  They love and worship authority, so they just do whatever they're told.  That's why they all think and act alike.

This battle for the Speakership is another sign of the fact that the Republican Party is split between a moderate block (think Governor Chsrlie Bsker) and a more rigid right block (think Donald J Trump)  In some ways it is two partie, united in their oppodition to the progressive ideas of the most outspoken of the Democrats (think AOC or Ayanna Pressley).

At this point the prospects of the Republican Leader, Rep Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to assume the gavel seem to be receding.  However, there does not seem to be a groundswell for anyone else.

I don't think it is likely that the Minority Leader, Mr Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) will get elected as Speaker, slthough there is presedent.  A ways back Mr Willie Brown, the Democratic Leader of the California Assembly, was elected Speaker, even thouogh the Republicans held a slim majority.  However, that was Willie Brown,.

I am sure someonoe has figured out the path this will take, but it isn't anyone I sm currently reading.  Whatever the outcome, it is likely to do damage to the goals many of us have set for the Republicsn House.  This, in turn, will help the Biden Administrstion achieve its goals and avoid the kinds of Committee investigation that are likely to expose suspected corruption in our Governmental Institutions and within the Biden Family.

Regards  —  Cliff