The Republican crazies got their way in the end after all.
It had seemed the party was completely MAGA-gaga, with little left of its sane wing. But then during the House speakership ruckus, it might briefly have looked as though there was real division, with a sane contingent finally finding a voice. Especially during the disgraceful Jim Jordan candidacy, full of bullying and even death threats.
But then they all caved, to wind up electing Mike Johnson. He does have a rep as a “nice guy.” And exhaustion certainly played a role in the vote. But Johnson is totally Trumpist, a leading election denier, working to push the big lie and voting against certification of the 2020 election. Trump himself — having pronounced a thumbs-down on the previous speaker nominee Tom Emmer — gave Johnson a big thumbs-up.
My wife was right originally saying Democrats made a terrible mistake voting with the eight GOP crazies to dethrone Speaker McCarthy. They should have just voted “present,” to disempower Gaetz and his bomb-throwers. But look what they’ve got now.
Democrats also may have missed a chance to get someone like Emmer in the speaker’s chair, about as reasonable a Republican as one might find today. He could have been elected with Democrat support plus just a few of the 117 Republicans who backed him in caucus. Had there even been a full floor vote. But the problem was that GOP voters so hate Democrats that being seen to cooperate with them in any way would ensure a Republican’s defeat in a party primary.
So the berserker caucus used their few votes to defenestrate McCarthy, then to sink Steve Scalise, and then Emmer; but no so-called moderates could find the stomach to emulate them and block Johnson. Every single Republican voted for him. Now the party is totally united . . . in the deranged Trump MAGA cult of lies.
