America - The Official Thread

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Me, wanting a viable third party...

not like this GIF
 
Is it possible that the Democratic party could influence the House Speaker ? Like if they all voted for a candidate that could just get 20 GOP members to support? I don't remember the protocol.
 
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Eunos_Cosmo
Is it possible that the Democratic party could influence the House Speaker ? Like if they all voted for a candidate that could just get 20 GOP members to support? I don't remember the protocol.
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A raucous in the caucus?

No reason it couldn't happen, but it would involve gamesmanship outside of Democrats' collective wheelhouse.
 
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Eunos_Cosmo
Is it possible that the Democratic party could influence the House Speaker ? Like if they all voted for a candidate that could just get 20 GOP members to support? I don't remember the protocol.
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Seems possible

www.usatoday.com

What happens after McCarthy lost the first vote for speaker? Here's how the process works.

Candidates for speaker are nominated from the floor by members of their parties. The speaker who is chosen does not have to be a member of Congress.
www.usatoday.com
 
I mean, the Republicans can just do this forever and it might be worthwhile for the Democrats to just watch and grab popcorn. Sure, it's a waste of time, but at least something important can't get done (like you know, run the country or anything).
 
@Blitz24

For a while sure, but the GOP will eventually consolidate around somebody. If that somebody has promised fringe extremists committee assignments in exchange for speaker votes, it may be in the Dem's best interest to pre-empt those deals to keep said extremists off committees. It could also further tear the GOP apart, which could be useful.
 
Eunos_Cosmo
@Blitz24

For a while sure, but the GOP will eventually consolidate around somebody. If that somebody has promised fringe extremists committee assignments in exchange for speaker votes, it may be in the Dem's best interest to pre-empt those deals to keep said extremists off committees. It could also further tear the GOP apart, which could be useful.
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I am solely convinced half of these people have no idea what the job entails and the Peter principle should apply.
 
Eunos_Cosmo
@Blitz24

For a while sure, but the GOP will eventually consolidate around somebody. If that somebody has promised fringe extremists committee assignments in exchange for speaker votes, it may be in the Dem's best interest to pre-empt those deals to keep said extremists off committees. It could also further tear the GOP apart, which could be useful.
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As far as I've read (which is not very far), the democrats have their preferred candidate and are good with voting as a block. As much difficulty as the republicans are having getting on board with one candidate, switching people and getting all of the democrats to vote as a block for a new candidate which the right number of republicans support seems like a very tall order. There are a lot of people involved.

Getting a few republicans to bail and vote for the democrat candidate might just be easier (but also unlikely), especially if the fringe is gaining control over the republican speaker.

I have a feeling the democrats will just sit it out until the right picks someone. As dissatisfying as that is, alternatives seem very challenging.
 
Democrats benefit as long as the Republicans appear disorganized and inept. Also, I'm not sure Democrats wouldn't prefer a more extreme candidate for Speaker as it will continue to cause chaos in Republican ranks. Terrible for the country, of course, but who cares about that?
 
Danoff
As far as I've read (which is not very far), the democrats have their preferred candidate and are good with voting as a block.
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It's kind of amazing progressives support Jeffries, even if begrudgingly.
Danoff
Getting a few republicans to bail and vote for the democrat candidate might just be easier (but also unlikely), especially if the fringe is gaining control over the republican speaker.
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Good bet any Republicans who voted for a Democrat to be Speaker would be penalized by the party, much like those who voted to impeach Trump.
 
I mean, he's far from perfect, but I wonder if Fred Upton could gather enough votes from both parties to shake things up. He's probably one of the most generally moderate Republicans in the house. Nobody would be happy!

edit: ....Fred Upton will not be a part of the next congress. :lol:
 
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TexRex
It's kind of amazing progressives support Jeffries, even if begrudgingly.

Good bet any Republicans who voted for a Democrat to be Speaker would be penalized by the party, much like those who voted to impeach Trump.
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From the Politico article:

He added that Monday night, conservatives told him “the only way to get 218 votes was if I provided certain members with certain positions, certain gavels … and they even came to the position where Matt Gaetz said: ‘I don’t care if we go to plurality and we elect [incoming House Democratic leader] Hakeem Jeffries.’”

Probably won't happen, but they did threaten going to plurality over this. They will most likely make a deal before it gets there.
 
ROAD_DOGG33J
From the Politico article:

He added that Monday night, conservatives told him “the only way to get 218 votes was if I provided certain members with certain positions, certain gavels … and they even came to the position where Matt Gaetz said: ‘I don’t care if we go to plurality and we elect [incoming House Democratic leader] Hakeem Jeffries.’”

Probably won't happen, but they did threaten going to plurality over this. They will most likely make a deal before it gets there.
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There are reports some Democratic members will abstain from the next ballot due to the stupidity on the right. Of course that would also be stupid, thus very much on-brand.
 
TexRex
There are reports some Democratic members will abstain from the next ballot due to the stupidity on the right. Of course that would also be stupid, thus very much on-brand.
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According to cbsnews.com, Jeffries did receive one less vote in the 3rd voting session, while McCarthy lost one vote to Jordan compared to previous sessions.
 
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Joey D
Me, wanting a viable third party...

not like this GIF
Click to expand...
I'm sorry to say but the chance of a right-libertarian party that's totally fine with the oh-so-decadent gay marriage, transgender freedoms, drug legalization, and abstinence from the cultural war altogether making it into the mainstream, is less than zero.
 


So congressional webpages for all freshman members of the House were set to update today, however far in advance of today's (and likely ongoing) shenanigans, but it's still funny that George Santos, whose entire life seems to have been cut from whole cloth, begins a congressional term of indeterminate length with yet another falsehood.
 

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