That’s right, every take I’ve heard on the US Speaker’s race drama is wrong… at least according to me! The issue with most takes is they either lack nuance or any semblance of knowledge of the political process.
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Before I dissect each point, I’m starting out with the assumption that we all understand that Kevin McCarthy is an establishment swamp creature devoid of principles who only cares about personal power.
THIS WAS AN EMBARRASSMENT
There is nothing embarrassing about fighting for a more transparent and free governmental process. If anyone should be embarrassed, it is Kevin McCarthy who felt he could continue to marginalize the members of his party who represent the majority of the Republican base in their values and principles, instead of working with them before it became public. Their demands were not unreasonable; they were what most Americans would consider fair. Most people think Congress is broken. IT IS. What the 20 received as their demands makes it less broken. You should be thanking them for taking on the swamp instead of demonizing them.
THE DEMOCRATS WILL USE THIS AGAINST US
I suppose they could try. But the sky isn’t falling. Speaking as a former politician who has had some public fights where people screamed the sky would fall, I can assure you, the sky did not fall. The voters who determine elections don’t follow inside baseball politics. While we were riveted by the drama, most people are just living their lives and unaware of what occurs inside the ivory halls of DC. Let’s say it was true: we don’t deserve to have the majority then. Republicans look at winning majorities like a trophy that they stick up on a high shelf, behind glass, and stare at. Democrats use their majority to get the ball to the end zone as many times as humanly possible, even if it means losing elections. Because they move the needle so far left, it can’t be completely undone.
YOU CAN’T ALLOW THE MINORITY TO WIN
I’ve heard this equated to a hostage negotiation. The swamp has held this country hostage for tyranny continuously for years. I have no trouble with turning the tables for liberty. News flash: the minority DOES have power and they should. That is one of the basic tenants governing a free society. Without such a system, the arbitrary and tyrannical will of the majority would rule and crush the rights of the minority. This is the system of government our founders envisioned. Our constitution protects the rights of everyone so that one subsect of people can’t rule over another. The mob does not rule in the United States.
THE DEMOCRATS DON’T INFIGHT PUBLICALLY
Democrats believe their ideology so much more than we do. Did you listen to any of the Democrats’ speeches during the fight? They are willing to jump off a cliff for their beliefs, but the vast majority of Republicans in office have no real principles. Democrats don’t need to infight because they all believe the same things. Generally speaking, they operate more as a collective, which makes sense because their political ideology is collectivism over individualism. It’s the nature of the beast. I don’t want to be in a party like that. I value our individualistic nature.
WE ALMOST HAD A DEMOCRAT SPEAKER
I don’t believe this is true. I think that McCarthy put that out there to scare people and shape the narrative. And if it were true, SHAME ON HIM for making a deal with Democrats instead of working with the members of his party who represent his base.
THE 20 ROLLED OVER AND GAVE IN
Negotiations in politics like this happen every day. Most aren’t as public. But folks, this is how the political sausage is made. You have to know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em. There was never a scenario that Kevin McCarthy would not be speaker. While I think that for the 20, the situation was fluid (which is normal for negotiations), I think they knew McCarthy would be speaker in the end. Kevin McCarthy wanted to be speaker more than anything else in the world. It’s probably why this worked out for the 20 because if McCarthy hadn’t wanted it that badly, another candidate would have come forward and gained traction. Let’s say the 20 had not done this. We would have McCarthy as speaker but wouldn’t have gotten anything for it. Rumor is that most of the Republican conference supported these efforts and I believe that’s probably true. In my book, the 20 are heroes and while I think I have some political guts, I don’t think I could have done this.
There is a fear this will become a pattern. I hope it does! We must have some conviction. We need to stand for something if we are ever going to create a truly cohesive and attractive message of what the Republican Party represents.
