Yes, a lot of Democrats probably are telling Republican Shawn Jasper that they will “vote for him” for speaker. But they wont.
Democrats are not going to vote for Shawn Jasper because he has no chance of winning and his mere presence in the race gives them hope…
Why?
Jasper watering down the Republican vote is the only chance the left has to get a left-wing Democrat nut job like Stephen Shurtleff as speaker of a Republican majority House. So every Democrat Rep will be whipped to vote for the Democrat candidate for speaker. Jasper just has to get enough Republicans to vote for him to give Shurtleff the nod.
Can you imaging the political victory that represents to Democrats? It erases most if not all the embarrassment of the beating they just took. They get to control committee leadership, policy, essentially neutering any improvements the GOP hoped to make in the next two years. AND, Governor Hassan wont have to compromise with a Republican majority leaving her plenty of free time to wind up her run for the US Senate race against Kelly Ayotte in 2016.
So it would not be surprising to find out that scores of Democrats have let Shawn Jasper know that they would support him over O’Brien–without saying – but we’re going to support Shurtleff over you.
Jasper can’t win, he can only lose…well, the House.
Tomorrow, Democrats will do what they do and vote as a block for Shurtleff, hoping Jasper has denied Bill O’Brein of enough voted to give the Speakership and everything that goes with it….to the Democrats.
Republicans who think they are making a statement are. They are saying, we are idiots who just sacrificed our majority for an arrogant clown thus showing the voters that instead of voting for us, they should just vote for Democrats.
I guess the real question is, does Jasper know that? Is it possible he is not as stupid as he appears to be, and that helping Shurtleff to the speakers job is the outcome he’s actually hoping for?
(Update- Looks like Stephen Shurtleff wants Shawn J-ass-per to e speaker.)
