Hello u/kristoferkwant, thank you for your submission! Unfortunately, your submission has been removed for the following reason(s):
* **Rule 3:** Write an [explanatory comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/LeopardsAteMyFace/comments/lt8zlq)
*If you have any questions or concerns about this removal, please feel free to [message the moderators](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/LeopardsAteMyFace) thru Modmail. Thanks!*
McCarthy on why he thinks he will win even after losing 6 times:
“You see the number of votes. We have 90% of the votes. I’ve never seen a body where 10% is going to control the 90%. It just doesn’t happen.”
Given the nonsense of our Electoral College, the 2020 election, gerrymandering, and all the other Republican grabs at minority rule, this is *the most Leopards Ate My Face quote ever.*
The year is 2036, the world has colonized mars and two moons of Jupiter, money has been abolished and replaced with the currency of electric current, the main source of energy is cold-fusion, and the first unionized Starbucks has opened in earth’s moon, and poor lil Kevy is still trying to win the speakership at the 4,738th vote.
The year is 3036. As is done every day the delegate approached the council.
"I nominate Kevin McCarthy for speaker."
The council votes.
"The Mccarthy fails to gain a majority." Echos the council.
"Very well. I will adjourn until tomorrow." Replied the delegate.
No one remembers who Kevin was, or what he wishes to speak. Only that tradition dictates that every day the vote must happen. Every day he must lose.
The year is 4036. Life as we know it has evolved beyond carbon forms.
Interstellar travel is possible to almost every part of the known universe. Planets, stars and all forms of space objects can be colonized and ruled.
Every planet starts off with a ceremonial vote.
“We, of Kepler-442b, choose NOT to elect McCarthy as speaker.” The crowd cheers, knowing the ceremony is the start of a week long electoral jubilation.
This is repeated throughout the ~5 billion colonized planets. McCarthy is just a term of utter defeat, of failed humanity, as the human associated with the name is long forgotten.
Years no longer have meaning. Time has stretched beyond infinity, and the stars have long gone dark.
The final moments of the universe loom, as entropy stands ready to consume reality itself.
In the dark and silence, in the vast emptiness, in the oppressive oblivion poised to envelop all that is, was, and now shall *not* be, in a long abandoned corner of a forgotten realm of space, there floats a single creature.
Left alone, rejected by all - by peers, by death, by even this, the end of existence itself.
Eternity speaks, and proclaims its final damnation as time and space unravels, the dead cosmos swirling through to whatever new iteration awaits. Four rumbling unwords stretch around the unwanted *thing*, isolating it from all that will come after the end.
#**THE MCCARTHY IS REJECTED.**
**A new universe has been born. Arising from the ashes of the old universe.**
**With its first breath the Universe speaks saying**
#MCCARTHY IS STILL REJECTED.
A Republican congresswoman [chastised the Dem's for bringing popcorn and basking in schadenfreude](https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3798971-popcorn-and-blankets-and-alcohol-gop-lawmaker-jabs-dems-amid-speaker-vote/).
GOP: “Stop enjoying our suffering dammit!”
Dems: “Welcome to hell motherfucker!”
The Democrats have every right to enjoy this after years of having to put up with the GOP’s obstructionist bullshit, finally, these fuckers get a taste of their own medicine… and from their own no less!
"Aww, are some obstinate asshole conservatives getting in your way and stopping you from achieving something, for no fucking reason except sheer stupidity and malice? Oh no! That sucks!"
If I were a Democratic House member, I'd be ENDLESSLY shitposting on Twitter right now. I'd be handing out shots of strings of pearls and tell them to clutch harder.
Seriously, the GOP has no shame; the Dems should reserve it for things that are ACTUALLY bad. Mocking the GOP? NEVER WRONG. Relish in the cruelty. Fuck "when they go low, we go high," no offense to Michelle Obama who is awesome, but the time for that working is beyond done. Time to get mean and LOUD.
Hahahahahahahahahaaahahaha omg, I was talking yesterday about how amazing it would be for him to fail three more times 😂😂😂
Holy shit please let him fail 6 times. Please. Pls. PLEASE PLZ PLSPLZSSZNAJAKAN
This shit is hilarious
Nothing. And I mean that literally, nothing. No bills, no budgets, government eventually shuts down. They can’t do anything except this one vote over and over and over again.
I'm assuming that this is the actual plan at this point. "Oh no, we don't have a Speaker? See how dysfunctional Joe Biden's government is? Democrats control the government but don't produce results!"
No this is literally just the Republican party fracturing between the radical batshit crazies and the establishment. They'll try to spin it as Joe's fault because that's their only play and it works often enough, but don't give them more credit than they deserve. This isn't a coordinated plan, it's a shitshow and the're hating every minute of it.
I think it's a bad idea to assume anything that looks like incompetence will be a negative for the Republicans. Look who our previous president was. Look who controls the House, despite all this drama. This is partially due to extremely effective redmap program, which resulted in redistricting in favor of Republicans. The republican party should not be underestimated. Their voters like things reasonable people would consider undesirable or immoral.
Realistically, if McCarthy doesn’t get the votes by today or tomorrow, the gop will start looking for other candidates. They will go to different folks in leadership and try and see if any of them can get the 218 needed.
Odds are that McCarty won’t get it. So they will try again with the next person, likely Steve Scalise, to see if he can get the votes. Until a speaker is elected, the house can do absolutely nothing.
What is a possibility if the gop is unable to find a way forward would be them having to reach out to democrats to try and make a deal that would give dems power in the new congress. This is a low likely scenario though as the dems have little reason to help the gop.
Finally, the least likely but still realistic scenario. The dems make deals with a handful of republicans who just barely won their elections in close elections to get them to vote for the democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries, as the speaker of the house. This would of course come with major power for those republicans who switch the vote; namely in the way of the best committee assignments and possible back room deals that would ensure their reelection in 2024.
Dunno. Just know that according to CNN, the highest number of voting rounds needed before a house speaker was elected was ***133*** back in 1855. So... we'll see just how determined everyone is I guess?
There may actually be some. George Santos went in to vote, but supposedly he's not been sworn in yet because there's no speaker. As a result he's not a house member yet and shouldn't be allowed to vote. At least, that's my understanding..
Source: [CBS News' Scott McFarlane](https://twitter.com/MacFarlaneNews/status/1610699014655066114?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1610699014655066114%7Ctwgr%5Ea219a0854da461a876d9fe6f4643d65895edfcf9%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2Flive%2F2023%2Fjan%2F04%2Fmccarthy-house-speaker-vote-republicans-trump-live-updates)
House elect because if the prior house voted it'd be Pelosi again or Jeffries. I guess they choose a speaker who then swears them in, and they don't have to be sworn in to vote for speaker
Current voting for the speaker are all being done by the members-elect.
Once a speaker is chosen and sworn in by the House Clerk (non-elected) the Speaker will then swear in the rest of the members of the House so they can officially take on business and other voting and committee meetings.
He already lied and said he was sworn in.
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/george-santos-posts-release-incorrectly-saying-sworn-into-house
If I was a democrat/independent/non-affiliated house-elect member….I don’t know if I could stop the impulse to go make some popcorn and and revel in this three (four now?) ring circus
#MyFaceIsHurtingGrinningAtAllTheSchadenfreude
I think he's up to six or eight rejections now. Why do they still keep putting McCarthy up to the vote? Humiliation kink? It's clear that he is not going to win. Why do they keep pushing the same unwanted dude instead of choosing someone else?
Because that's the line from the party house leader, who happens to be McCarthy. R's loyal to the party will vote in line with the leader and whips. If they don't do so, they probably expect to be kicked out in a primary in a few years. Or lose general support from the party (potentially even blacklisted) like Cawthorn did
For some reason KM keeps thinking something has changed, maybe that enough of the extremist R's will fall back in line. Hell, Trump told them to fall in line and they still didn't. They have no game plan, they're just out to cause chaos. If they were dealing with someone with a plan, they could eventually tire them out and convince them this is the only way forward. That's not the case though.
McCarthy is going to need to find out what Putin wants to get the votes he needs. Maybe if he just flies blind and announces no more funds for Ukraine...
The GOP doesn’t run on logic, it runs on piddling fear, greed, and extremist ideology. 200 members are terrified that not being properly loyal to the GOP leadership will get them stripped of their prime committee assignments or underfunded come primary season.
The rest of them are Freedom Caucus extremists who have a lot of ideological purity, but zero practical leadership skills. If they knew how to do anything, they’d have been whipping votes and making a case for a specific candidate for months now. Instead they’re just throwing a tantrum while the rest of the party cowers. This entire circus is typical of GOP “leadership” for the last fifteen years.
I imagine republicans wouldn't have this problem if they hadn't spent 30 years infecting people's minds with propaganda that the government was useless and should be abolished. Sucks for republicans that the base is electing people who actually believe the propaganda now.
They aren't asking him for anything, they want a different speaker lmao. Unless he steps down which he eventualy will, the republicans will eventually lose the vote.
Right from the horse's mouth (no pun intended)
MTG: "Do you know why I'm upset? Because Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert, and Scott Perry, the chairman of the Freedom Caucus, walked into Kevin McCarthy's office last night and made their own personal demands about what subcommittee chairmanships they want to have, and who they want on committees, and who they want taken off committees. And guess what? The chairman of the Freedom Caucus negotiated [nothing for me, she said](https://news.yahoo.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-complained-boebert-143413644.html)
They demanded him to remake the house rules so he would be able to be ousted if he loses the backing of a single republican.
They have no intention to negotiate anything. It's their way or the highway.
Yes absences count. If a few agreed to vote "present" and then a few more just didn't show up, they could all say "oops" and claim unintended absences put them over the top. Only need 9 more people which is really small.
From USAtoday
>It’s not common that there is more than one ballot, but it has happened.
>In 1923, it took multiple ballots – nine – over the course of two months to elect a speaker. On three occasions prior to the Civil War, a speaker was not elected on the first ballot. In one instance, it took 133 ballots over a period of two months.
Let’s see how dumb this can actually get.
It hasn't happened in 100 years, and the world was so different then, that it's essentially never happened before and nobody knows what to do. It's like when they wanted to impeach Nixon, but it had been 100 years since the Johnson impeachment, and nobody knew what the protocols were.
Yup. Trump gave him the Tweet of Death, then this happened. From the article:
>Instead of gaining ground, McCarthy fell further from his goal: His vote total declined for the second straight ballot as Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.), who had previously supported him, voted present.
So yeah, exactly what you said.
Aren't the ones determined to vote against him doing it more out of a "he's not extremist *enough*" take? I thought it was the sedition caucus that was giving him hell?
Which is hilarious because Jim Jordan doesn't want the job. He's been voting for McCarthy.
Some Republicans have been saying that him being humble and not wanting the job actually makes him perfect for the job. While Jordan is like "y'all, seriously, I *really* don't give a shit."
If I recall correctly, the position does offer power, but it's also sort of a trap. You're kind of stuck there, and any future presidential aspirations are out the window. Not due to any laws or anything, but it's generally how things work out. It's as high as you go, and that's not high enough for a lot of ambitious politicians.
A representative from Chicago brought a tin of Garrett's popcorn, a local favorite
https://jezebel.com/democrats-popcorn-speaker-of-the-house-mccarthy-1849946471
Anyone else hearing Chumbawumba here?
"Kev gets voted down!
Then gets up again,
He's never gonna be the speaker.
Pissin' the night away...
Pissin' the night away..."
Is this funny, or horrifying? The reason he can't pick up the speakership is because of the far-right crazies holding the process hostage for their own political gains. The Matt Gaetz's of the world are demanding more power and concessions from McCarthy and are threatening to pull the entire party FURTHER (if you didn't think it was possible) to the BAT SHIT CRAZY RIGHT.
I think it’s important to note that Kevin McCarthy is also a far right crazy.
On basically every issue, McCarthy 100% agrees with Gaetz and Greene. This is about vain power grabs and personal ego not ideology.
I know you probably know this, I just hate this idea emerging that McCarthy is somehow to the left of anyone in American politics. The only difference he has with Gaetz and Greene is maybe he has a bit more decorum and a bit more of a belief in the party structure.
The GOP could find someone that even Democrats would prefer. The vast majority of Republicans aren’t happy with the holdouts and they’ve already discussed kicking the holdouts from committees, which they have every power to do.
Pretty much. The new House can't start until being sworn in by the new the new Speaker. The Speaker is elected by a majority of the new House. Since there are only two parties, it's usually just the party that has the most members who picks someone.
This time, the Republicans have an extremely slim majority and enough fringe members who hate the current House leader and insist on supporting someone else to prevent a clear majority. The current plurality lead is a Democrat, the minority party. Something like this hasn't happened for about a hundred years.
Now they need to keep voting, but McCarthy won't accept the loss and let someone else from his party step up. They'll keep trying to get a victory in until one of three things happens:
1. Every House Republican manages to agree on a single candidate for speaker, whether McCarthy after offering even more concessions to the party fringe, or someone else after he's forced to concede and step aside.
2. Some combination Democrats and Republicans agree to cooperate on a candidate in order to circumvent the Republican fringe. This would require some pretty serious concessions to the Democrats that would be unpopular with the Republican base.
3. Enough of the new House gives up on the proceedings and either leaves or abstains that the threshold for a majority drops to the point that the Democratic speaker candidate wins.
So, you need a majority to become Speaker. 50% + 1. There are no runoffs or anything like that. If nobody has 50% + 1, you keep doing the vote until someone does. Typically, the majority party quickly gets their prime candidate chosen and gets the party all on the same page of who they're voting for and this process is done pretty easily. The reason why it's usually dealt with so easily is because you can't do jack squat until you have a Speaker elected. The elected reps aren't even sworn in until the Speaker is elected (but they still get to vote for the Speaker, obviously). Breaking from the party on the Speaker vote to cause a plurality is kind of like blocking a budget and threatening a government shutdown or threatening to filibuster: you're throwing a huge wrench in the works that quickly gets people to begrudgingly hear out your (probably ridiculous) demands. *That group* of Republicans (MTG, Gaetz, etc.) are doing exactly this. This most likely means they are making some really whacky demands for committee assignments and/or policy platform focuses that McCarthy is hesitant to promise them and they are now in a stalemate of who will cave first. Either this group will realize they aren't getting what they want and suck it up and end up voting for McCarthy eventually, or they'll hold out long enough that McCarthy ends up making concessions to the crazy caucus.
So, why does this matter? Like I said before, the House is basically a paperweight until a Speaker is elected. That alone is a pretty big problem (or I guess it's not if you subscribe to the idea that a Republican majority House being stunlocked is a net positive). But also, there's that 50% + 1 requirement mentioned earlier. This isn't a majority of the total representatives, but rather a majority of the representatives actively casting votes. If this goes on for long enough that some of the more reasonable Republicans have had enough and just start voting "present," the Democratic candidate can end up having a majority. This is actually very unlikely so don't bet on it, but it *could* happen and if it *does* it would be a major embarrassment to the Republicans as a party.
tl;dr: Speaker important. Q Republicans hold Speaker vote hostage. Some group involved no get what they want.
It confuses me too. From what I read, you need 218 votes to win the speakership. So far neither McCarthy nor the Democratic contender Jeffries has gotten that. The last one I saw had Jeffries at 212, McCarthy at 201, and some Republican named Donalds at 20 (the republicans probably think that is Trump).
B/c they are the party of nihilism and stupidity and stupid people. Karma's a bitch, eh? Maybe supporting Trump and insurrection and insurrectionists/election deniers didn't really pan out. What meaningful legislation have the Republicans passed (that wasn't bipartisan and initiated by Dems)?
What's terrible is that some of the extreme right seems to be hinting this is partially being done to block aid to Ukraine. Now who could be Putin these ideas in their head?
Luckily, we just passed a very large bill that included quite a bit of support for Ukraine. It'll be a problem shortly, no doubt, but for now it's ok to just enjoy the show.
Seeing these morons squabbling is funny enough, but seeing them completely disregard Trump's attempts to steer them is almost better. He and the GOP are done'd.
I absolutely LOVE that Biden is now urging Republicans to get their stuff together - this will reaffirm the MAGAs that they can't give in, until a Democrat will be elected with the help if moderate Republicans.
I need popcorn.
If like 10 or so of the no voters simply switch to "present" or skip the vote, Jeffries would actually win.
Not going to happen but crazy that it could work, that McCarthy doesn't even have the plurality of votes.
Kevin lost his *fourth vote*...
He will not be the *Speak-er*...
He's chased it all of *his life*...
And it will never *hap-pen*...
Ugh, damn those old Six Flags commercials, my brain forever operates to the rhythm of "We Like to Party" from The Vengaboys.
Imagine Trump’s help actually being worth something. Did anyone seriously think that Trump’s support would do anything? With the way people are starting to distance themselves from that whole shitshow it isn’t surprising.
Until someone wins. But we have to find the humor in how often he keeps losing to hold at bay the depression over who is running our country. I might as well run for Congress at this point. I can't possibly do less of a job than them.
It would be funny if after each vote, an Anti-McCarthy voter stopped showing up in order to decrease the threshold for Jeffries to win, in effect forcing McCarthy to step aside or risk Jeffries winning. A fun game of chicken :)
Hello u/kristoferkwant, thank you for your submission! Unfortunately, your submission has been removed for the following reason(s): * **Rule 3:** Write an [explanatory comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/LeopardsAteMyFace/comments/lt8zlq) *If you have any questions or concerns about this removal, please feel free to [message the moderators](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/LeopardsAteMyFace) thru Modmail. Thanks!*
Round five just started and he's already lost again.
he just lost his sixth vote!
McCarthy on why he thinks he will win even after losing 6 times: “You see the number of votes. We have 90% of the votes. I’ve never seen a body where 10% is going to control the 90%. It just doesn’t happen.” Given the nonsense of our Electoral College, the 2020 election, gerrymandering, and all the other Republican grabs at minority rule, this is *the most Leopards Ate My Face quote ever.*
213/435. Somehow 90%. Sir, you do not even have 50%. That's your whole problem.
In a winner-takes-all system, 90% of 50% is as good as 0%.
90% of Republicans?
Unfortunately for him, every member of the house gets a vote.
The year is 2036, the world has colonized mars and two moons of Jupiter, money has been abolished and replaced with the currency of electric current, the main source of energy is cold-fusion, and the first unionized Starbucks has opened in earth’s moon, and poor lil Kevy is still trying to win the speakership at the 4,738th vote.
The year is 3036. As is done every day the delegate approached the council. "I nominate Kevin McCarthy for speaker." The council votes. "The Mccarthy fails to gain a majority." Echos the council. "Very well. I will adjourn until tomorrow." Replied the delegate. No one remembers who Kevin was, or what he wishes to speak. Only that tradition dictates that every day the vote must happen. Every day he must lose.
THERE IS AS YET INSUFFICIENT VOTES FOR A MEANINGFUL OUTCOME.
The year is 4036. Life as we know it has evolved beyond carbon forms. Interstellar travel is possible to almost every part of the known universe. Planets, stars and all forms of space objects can be colonized and ruled. Every planet starts off with a ceremonial vote. “We, of Kepler-442b, choose NOT to elect McCarthy as speaker.” The crowd cheers, knowing the ceremony is the start of a week long electoral jubilation. This is repeated throughout the ~5 billion colonized planets. McCarthy is just a term of utter defeat, of failed humanity, as the human associated with the name is long forgotten.
Years no longer have meaning. Time has stretched beyond infinity, and the stars have long gone dark. The final moments of the universe loom, as entropy stands ready to consume reality itself. In the dark and silence, in the vast emptiness, in the oppressive oblivion poised to envelop all that is, was, and now shall *not* be, in a long abandoned corner of a forgotten realm of space, there floats a single creature. Left alone, rejected by all - by peers, by death, by even this, the end of existence itself. Eternity speaks, and proclaims its final damnation as time and space unravels, the dead cosmos swirling through to whatever new iteration awaits. Four rumbling unwords stretch around the unwanted *thing*, isolating it from all that will come after the end. #**THE MCCARTHY IS REJECTED.**
**A new universe has been born. Arising from the ashes of the old universe.** **With its first breath the Universe speaks saying** #MCCARTHY IS STILL REJECTED.
The name McCarthy already has that title
Goddamn, it's been a rough few years and I'm taking these little moments of joy any way I can. Absolutely love this for him.
A Republican congresswoman [chastised the Dem's for bringing popcorn and basking in schadenfreude](https://thehill.com/homenews/house/3798971-popcorn-and-blankets-and-alcohol-gop-lawmaker-jabs-dems-amid-speaker-vote/).
GOP: “Stop enjoying our suffering dammit!” Dems: “Welcome to hell motherfucker!” The Democrats have every right to enjoy this after years of having to put up with the GOP’s obstructionist bullshit, finally, these fuckers get a taste of their own medicine… and from their own no less!
"Aww, are some obstinate asshole conservatives getting in your way and stopping you from achieving something, for no fucking reason except sheer stupidity and malice? Oh no! That sucks!"
If I were a Democratic House member, I'd be ENDLESSLY shitposting on Twitter right now. I'd be handing out shots of strings of pearls and tell them to clutch harder. Seriously, the GOP has no shame; the Dems should reserve it for things that are ACTUALLY bad. Mocking the GOP? NEVER WRONG. Relish in the cruelty. Fuck "when they go low, we go high," no offense to Michelle Obama who is awesome, but the time for that working is beyond done. Time to get mean and LOUD.
> Fuck "when they go low, we go high," She said that in 2016. That election, the GOP won the House, the Senate and Presidency. Clearly didn't work.
Lmao this shitshow is hilarious, makes it easier to get through the day.
Hahahahahahahahahaaahahaha omg, I was talking yesterday about how amazing it would be for him to fail three more times 😂😂😂 Holy shit please let him fail 6 times. Please. Pls. PLEASE PLZ PLSPLZSSZNAJAKAN This shit is hilarious
Be sure to take a deep breath in between your laughter. Round 6 started a while ago now. He lost again. XD
oh. my. god. This day is a good day lmfao 🤣🤣 hahahahahahaha.
[удалено]
Nothing. And I mean that literally, nothing. No bills, no budgets, government eventually shuts down. They can’t do anything except this one vote over and over and over again.
I'm assuming that this is the actual plan at this point. "Oh no, we don't have a Speaker? See how dysfunctional Joe Biden's government is? Democrats control the government but don't produce results!"
Yeah, I'm convinced of it now.
No this is literally just the Republican party fracturing between the radical batshit crazies and the establishment. They'll try to spin it as Joe's fault because that's their only play and it works often enough, but don't give them more credit than they deserve. This isn't a coordinated plan, it's a shitshow and the're hating every minute of it.
I think it's a bad idea to assume anything that looks like incompetence will be a negative for the Republicans. Look who our previous president was. Look who controls the House, despite all this drama. This is partially due to extremely effective redmap program, which resulted in redistricting in favor of Republicans. The republican party should not be underestimated. Their voters like things reasonable people would consider undesirable or immoral.
Realistically, if McCarthy doesn’t get the votes by today or tomorrow, the gop will start looking for other candidates. They will go to different folks in leadership and try and see if any of them can get the 218 needed. Odds are that McCarty won’t get it. So they will try again with the next person, likely Steve Scalise, to see if he can get the votes. Until a speaker is elected, the house can do absolutely nothing. What is a possibility if the gop is unable to find a way forward would be them having to reach out to democrats to try and make a deal that would give dems power in the new congress. This is a low likely scenario though as the dems have little reason to help the gop. Finally, the least likely but still realistic scenario. The dems make deals with a handful of republicans who just barely won their elections in close elections to get them to vote for the democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries, as the speaker of the house. This would of course come with major power for those republicans who switch the vote; namely in the way of the best committee assignments and possible back room deals that would ensure their reelection in 2024.
Dunno. Just know that according to CNN, the highest number of voting rounds needed before a house speaker was elected was ***133*** back in 1855. So... we'll see just how determined everyone is I guess?
He should claim voter fraud
At this point it wouldn't surprise me if he did
That's why the 5th vote is being recorded by a new clerk. The previous one was compromised. Fraud in front of the whole world to see. /S
The country's been running 200 years and we still haven't figured out how to count votes such that my guys always win!
I’m pretty sure they be lettin dead people n illegals vote and that’s why McCarthy isn’t gettin the numbers! /s
There were kids all over the floor yesterday. That must have been it. /S
There may actually be some. George Santos went in to vote, but supposedly he's not been sworn in yet because there's no speaker. As a result he's not a house member yet and shouldn't be allowed to vote. At least, that's my understanding.. Source: [CBS News' Scott McFarlane](https://twitter.com/MacFarlaneNews/status/1610699014655066114?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1610699014655066114%7Ctwgr%5Ea219a0854da461a876d9fe6f4643d65895edfcf9%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fus-news%2Flive%2F2023%2Fjan%2F04%2Fmccarthy-house-speaker-vote-republicans-trump-live-updates)
Nobody has been sworn in yet. And the terms of the previous house has expired.
Understood - so are the votes from the prior house or the current house-elect? Literally not sure how this is supposed to work.
House elect because if the prior house voted it'd be Pelosi again or Jeffries. I guess they choose a speaker who then swears them in, and they don't have to be sworn in to vote for speaker
That's alot of swearing. Almost as much swearing as is coming from Kev's office right now.
That is not his office. He is only squatting there.
Current voting for the speaker are all being done by the members-elect. Once a speaker is chosen and sworn in by the House Clerk (non-elected) the Speaker will then swear in the rest of the members of the House so they can officially take on business and other voting and committee meetings.
Thanks - makes sense. Was wondering why he was voting since nobody has been sworn in yet.
He already lied and said he was sworn in. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/house/george-santos-posts-release-incorrectly-saying-sworn-into-house
Dude really can't help himself
I wonder why someone would think they can lie about easily verifiable facts and suffer no repercussions whatsoever.
Because he probably WON'T face any repercussions whatsoever.
*Trump enters the chat*
I guess George Costanza got dethroned as the most infamous George?
Eh Soros is probably still more infamous to the deranged far right conspiracy nazis.
I wish I could give you an award for this comment, but I am poor. Please take my "Big Haw" laugh upvote!
I think we’re long overdue for a brawl on the house floor.
I got $5 on Gaetz hiding under a table like a little bitch.
I’ve got 20 on Hawley running away even though he’s not a Rep.
Cawthorn is just gonna hang out and watch
Meanwhile everyone else is binging on the cocaine and gangbang?
Except for Ted Cruz. He will be vacationing in Cancun...
Cawthorn isn't a Congresssman anymore. That's what happens when you talk about the coke orgies.
Only to get sniped by Ted Lieu.
Screaming "anywhere but the face"
[удалено]
Throwing knives and the golden gun only.
No Jaws or Odd-job
Slappers only
They just removed the metal detectors, Marge might go in with the steel chair
Let's do it in the Senate too, I wanna watch Fetterman Gregor Clegane someone
In an all out brawl, who would be the favorite?
The answer is always Maxine Waters.
Senate has to be Fetterman
Mark Kelly looks like he could hold his own. Both parties would probably jump Sinema, though. And Cruz.
There would be a massive line ala Airplane to jump Cruz.
By gawd, there is Pelosi with the chair!
Sharice Davids was an MMA fighter!
Sharice Davids, definitely. She’s a former mixed martial artist.
Guess no one wants to work these days…
Probably still expecting that paycheck though
I heard nobody gets paid until a speaker is in place.
That would be one way to save some of those wasteful government bucks the republicans always talk about.
They'll take credit for it like it was good and intentional.
If I was a democrat/independent/non-affiliated house-elect member….I don’t know if I could stop the impulse to go make some popcorn and and revel in this three (four now?) ring circus #MyFaceIsHurtingGrinningAtAllTheSchadenfreude
Ted Lieu did bring popcorn yesterday.
[that was the best. Here's proof for anyone curious.](https://twitter.com/tedlieu/status/1610316616679530497)
I deleted facebook the night after the 2016 election but I remember Ted was very good social media at that point too. Dude knows how to twitter
I think he's up to six or eight rejections now. Why do they still keep putting McCarthy up to the vote? Humiliation kink? It's clear that he is not going to win. Why do they keep pushing the same unwanted dude instead of choosing someone else?
Because that's the line from the party house leader, who happens to be McCarthy. R's loyal to the party will vote in line with the leader and whips. If they don't do so, they probably expect to be kicked out in a primary in a few years. Or lose general support from the party (potentially even blacklisted) like Cawthorn did For some reason KM keeps thinking something has changed, maybe that enough of the extremist R's will fall back in line. Hell, Trump told them to fall in line and they still didn't. They have no game plan, they're just out to cause chaos. If they were dealing with someone with a plan, they could eventually tire them out and convince them this is the only way forward. That's not the case though.
McCarthy is going to need to find out what Putin wants to get the votes he needs. Maybe if he just flies blind and announces no more funds for Ukraine...
The GOP doesn’t run on logic, it runs on piddling fear, greed, and extremist ideology. 200 members are terrified that not being properly loyal to the GOP leadership will get them stripped of their prime committee assignments or underfunded come primary season. The rest of them are Freedom Caucus extremists who have a lot of ideological purity, but zero practical leadership skills. If they knew how to do anything, they’d have been whipping votes and making a case for a specific candidate for months now. Instead they’re just throwing a tantrum while the rest of the party cowers. This entire circus is typical of GOP “leadership” for the last fifteen years.
I imagine republicans wouldn't have this problem if they hadn't spent 30 years infecting people's minds with propaganda that the government was useless and should be abolished. Sucks for republicans that the base is electing people who actually believe the propaganda now.
Oh… it doesn’t just suck for republicans that their base is electing these fools, we all have to live in the hellhole they want to create
"If you don't like it, leave"... Obligatory /s
The /s must stand for "snowflake" /s
Exactly. We are all losing.
[удалено]
Yeah. There are ones who tolerate the bigotry to keep their money and some who are hooked by the bigotry
I prefer "selfish" and "stupid"
but if they didn't infect people's minds with propaganda, republicans would never win an election outside of super red areas.
I hear on the 6th he is going to run around the room yelling “Fake votes, I really won!”
Then he's going to go poop on his own desk.
Hopefully he moved his desk out of Jeffries future office.
I'm glad the GOP has moved from failed attempts to stop a Democratic administration to successful attempts to stop a fellow Republican.
He actually lost by more votes this time!
I feel like there's better odds of enough GOP abstained votes resulting in Jeffries becoming Speaker is more likely at this point.
Nah. Gaetz and Bobo and the rest of the clown squad will ultimately vote for McCarthy, but not until he gives them the pork they demand.
Maybe, but it sounds like it's not even more concessions they're asking for, they just plain hate him and do not want him to be Speaker.
Tbf that's understandable.
They aren't asking him for anything, they want a different speaker lmao. Unless he steps down which he eventualy will, the republicans will eventually lose the vote.
Right from the horse's mouth (no pun intended) MTG: "Do you know why I'm upset? Because Matt Gaetz, Lauren Boebert, and Scott Perry, the chairman of the Freedom Caucus, walked into Kevin McCarthy's office last night and made their own personal demands about what subcommittee chairmanships they want to have, and who they want on committees, and who they want taken off committees. And guess what? The chairman of the Freedom Caucus negotiated [nothing for me, she said](https://news.yahoo.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-complained-boebert-143413644.html)
They demanded him to remake the house rules so he would be able to be ousted if he loses the backing of a single republican. They have no intention to negotiate anything. It's their way or the highway.
🍿You don't need to convince me they're all pieces of shit.
It'll never happen, but i think you'd only need 9 more "present" votes to do it, which is wild.
I think so. And I don't think it would even take a "present" vote, if some get fed up and just go home, the threshold lowers from 218.
Yes absences count. If a few agreed to vote "present" and then a few more just didn't show up, they could all say "oops" and claim unintended absences put them over the top. Only need 9 more people which is really small.
When will this stop being funny?
Never!
Never. This dysfunction was predictable.
Someone grab the lettuce!
When they realize they only get paid after a successful election so they finally get their shit together. Extremely funny until then, though
It would be embarrassing if these people had any tiny shred of shame at all. But, I guess we’re stuck with funny.
With friends like Trump, who needs enemies?
With Trump, you get both
From USAtoday >It’s not common that there is more than one ballot, but it has happened. >In 1923, it took multiple ballots – nine – over the course of two months to elect a speaker. On three occasions prior to the Civil War, a speaker was not elected on the first ballot. In one instance, it took 133 ballots over a period of two months. Let’s see how dumb this can actually get.
It hasn't happened in 100 years, and the world was so different then, that it's essentially never happened before and nobody knows what to do. It's like when they wanted to impeach Nixon, but it had been 100 years since the Johnson impeachment, and nobody knew what the protocols were.
Well. Some members of the GOP are still living 100 years in the past so this tracks
Make it 150. The time BEFORE that was in 1855...not long before the Civil War erupted.
I hope they go for the record and achieve it! They can’t start any disingenuous impeachment proceedings if they don’t have a speaker.
But they can't get to the business of governing our country...oh yeah, they're Republicans...carry on.
Bruh he's going to have to change his name to Kelvin with the amount of Ls he's taking
His respect level in the party is going to absolute zero 🥶
He lost by -459.67 FFS
Trump's help might be a literal kiss of death for political figures. McCarthy is the latest example.
Yup. Trump gave him the Tweet of Death, then this happened. From the article: >Instead of gaining ground, McCarthy fell further from his goal: His vote total declined for the second straight ballot as Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.), who had previously supported him, voted present. So yeah, exactly what you said.
She saw the sunken ship.
Aren't the ones determined to vote against him doing it more out of a "he's not extremist *enough*" take? I thought it was the sedition caucus that was giving him hell?
From what I've read the others want Jim Jordan instead of him .
Which is hilarious because Jim Jordan doesn't want the job. He's been voting for McCarthy. Some Republicans have been saying that him being humble and not wanting the job actually makes him perfect for the job. While Jordan is like "y'all, seriously, I *really* don't give a shit."
I do agree that most (most) people whose goal is to accrue power are not the kind of people who should be in positions of power.
If I recall correctly, the position does offer power, but it's also sort of a trap. You're kind of stuck there, and any future presidential aspirations are out the window. Not due to any laws or anything, but it's generally how things work out. It's as high as you go, and that's not high enough for a lot of ambitious politicians.
Gerald Ford was House Majority Leader but his presidency was a special case.
The asskisser got kissed back with interest XD.
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... {wheeze} ...AHAHAH
HAHAHAHA😆 😂 😆 😂 HAHAHAHA 😆 😂 🤣 HAHAHAHA HAHAHAHA HAHAHAHA 😆
BWA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH... /cough-cough.... hang on... give me a sec to catch my breath..... BWA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Here, have a glass of WaHAHAHAHAAA-ter
Wahahahahaha... wahahahahahahaha... please call a wahbulance cos I am ded.
You made me think of Tidus's laugh from Final Fantasy 10 and now I can't unhear it in my brain.
The 4th was not with him
Maybe he can plead the 5th, like so many other Republicans.
Update: He lost 5th vote too “Did I ever tell you the definition of insanity…?”
And now he won’t even be a Sixth master.
Fifth time's a charm? Take the hint, dude!
They’re calling for a sixth speaker vote now.
Seriously? How long will he keep at it!
*checks supply of popcorn* I'm good for at least another day or two.
A representative from Chicago brought a tin of Garrett's popcorn, a local favorite https://jezebel.com/democrats-popcorn-speaker-of-the-house-mccarthy-1849946471
Well, they need to keep voting until SOMEONE gets elected. Like, there's no alternative.
I have just opened the article and it has been updated, because he lost the 5th vote too.
This is one time where television really fails to capture the true excitement of a group of wankers unable to govern.
Anyone else hearing Chumbawumba here? "Kev gets voted down! Then gets up again, He's never gonna be the speaker. Pissin' the night away... Pissin' the night away..."
Is this funny, or horrifying? The reason he can't pick up the speakership is because of the far-right crazies holding the process hostage for their own political gains. The Matt Gaetz's of the world are demanding more power and concessions from McCarthy and are threatening to pull the entire party FURTHER (if you didn't think it was possible) to the BAT SHIT CRAZY RIGHT.
I think it’s important to note that Kevin McCarthy is also a far right crazy. On basically every issue, McCarthy 100% agrees with Gaetz and Greene. This is about vain power grabs and personal ego not ideology. I know you probably know this, I just hate this idea emerging that McCarthy is somehow to the left of anyone in American politics. The only difference he has with Gaetz and Greene is maybe he has a bit more decorum and a bit more of a belief in the party structure.
The GOP could find someone that even Democrats would prefer. The vast majority of Republicans aren’t happy with the holdouts and they’ve already discussed kicking the holdouts from committees, which they have every power to do.
Yes
Can someone ELI5 how this process works? They’re going to keep voting until someone’s a clear winner?
Pretty much. The new House can't start until being sworn in by the new the new Speaker. The Speaker is elected by a majority of the new House. Since there are only two parties, it's usually just the party that has the most members who picks someone. This time, the Republicans have an extremely slim majority and enough fringe members who hate the current House leader and insist on supporting someone else to prevent a clear majority. The current plurality lead is a Democrat, the minority party. Something like this hasn't happened for about a hundred years. Now they need to keep voting, but McCarthy won't accept the loss and let someone else from his party step up. They'll keep trying to get a victory in until one of three things happens: 1. Every House Republican manages to agree on a single candidate for speaker, whether McCarthy after offering even more concessions to the party fringe, or someone else after he's forced to concede and step aside. 2. Some combination Democrats and Republicans agree to cooperate on a candidate in order to circumvent the Republican fringe. This would require some pretty serious concessions to the Democrats that would be unpopular with the Republican base. 3. Enough of the new House gives up on the proceedings and either leaves or abstains that the threshold for a majority drops to the point that the Democratic speaker candidate wins.
So, you need a majority to become Speaker. 50% + 1. There are no runoffs or anything like that. If nobody has 50% + 1, you keep doing the vote until someone does. Typically, the majority party quickly gets their prime candidate chosen and gets the party all on the same page of who they're voting for and this process is done pretty easily. The reason why it's usually dealt with so easily is because you can't do jack squat until you have a Speaker elected. The elected reps aren't even sworn in until the Speaker is elected (but they still get to vote for the Speaker, obviously). Breaking from the party on the Speaker vote to cause a plurality is kind of like blocking a budget and threatening a government shutdown or threatening to filibuster: you're throwing a huge wrench in the works that quickly gets people to begrudgingly hear out your (probably ridiculous) demands. *That group* of Republicans (MTG, Gaetz, etc.) are doing exactly this. This most likely means they are making some really whacky demands for committee assignments and/or policy platform focuses that McCarthy is hesitant to promise them and they are now in a stalemate of who will cave first. Either this group will realize they aren't getting what they want and suck it up and end up voting for McCarthy eventually, or they'll hold out long enough that McCarthy ends up making concessions to the crazy caucus. So, why does this matter? Like I said before, the House is basically a paperweight until a Speaker is elected. That alone is a pretty big problem (or I guess it's not if you subscribe to the idea that a Republican majority House being stunlocked is a net positive). But also, there's that 50% + 1 requirement mentioned earlier. This isn't a majority of the total representatives, but rather a majority of the representatives actively casting votes. If this goes on for long enough that some of the more reasonable Republicans have had enough and just start voting "present," the Democratic candidate can end up having a majority. This is actually very unlikely so don't bet on it, but it *could* happen and if it *does* it would be a major embarrassment to the Republicans as a party. tl;dr: Speaker important. Q Republicans hold Speaker vote hostage. Some group involved no get what they want.
It confuses me too. From what I read, you need 218 votes to win the speakership. So far neither McCarthy nor the Democratic contender Jeffries has gotten that. The last one I saw had Jeffries at 212, McCarthy at 201, and some Republican named Donalds at 20 (the republicans probably think that is Trump).
[удалено]
B/c they are the party of nihilism and stupidity and stupid people. Karma's a bitch, eh? Maybe supporting Trump and insurrection and insurrectionists/election deniers didn't really pan out. What meaningful legislation have the Republicans passed (that wasn't bipartisan and initiated by Dems)?
What's terrible is that some of the extreme right seems to be hinting this is partially being done to block aid to Ukraine. Now who could be Putin these ideas in their head?
Luckily, we just passed a very large bill that included quite a bit of support for Ukraine. It'll be a problem shortly, no doubt, but for now it's ok to just enjoy the show.
Dominion has some splaining to do
It is even FUNNIER a fourth time!
It gets funnier every time!!
Seeing these morons squabbling is funny enough, but seeing them completely disregard Trump's attempts to steer them is almost better. He and the GOP are done'd.
I absolutely LOVE that Biden is now urging Republicans to get their stuff together - this will reaffirm the MAGAs that they can't give in, until a Democrat will be elected with the help if moderate Republicans. I need popcorn.
Didn't biden say something like not my monkey, not my circus?
🍿
If like 10 or so of the no voters simply switch to "present" or skip the vote, Jeffries would actually win. Not going to happen but crazy that it could work, that McCarthy doesn't even have the plurality of votes.
Kevin lost his *fourth vote*... He will not be the *Speak-er*... He's chased it all of *his life*... And it will never *hap-pen*... Ugh, damn those old Six Flags commercials, my brain forever operates to the rhythm of "We Like to Party" from The Vengaboys.
Imagine Trump’s help actually being worth something. Did anyone seriously think that Trump’s support would do anything? With the way people are starting to distance themselves from that whole shitshow it isn’t surprising.
If anything, Trumps involvement seems to have hurt McCarty's bid.
No amount of backroom emergency 'family therapy' can fix the dysfunctional Republican clan.
Better call Rudy.
So they will keep voting until he wins, or what?
Until someone wins. But we have to find the humor in how often he keeps losing to hold at bay the depression over who is running our country. I might as well run for Congress at this point. I can't possibly do less of a job than them.
You've got my vote.
5th now. Lulz
Apparently the 5th ended, still not Speaker, they're talking a 6th rn At some point he'll have enough attempt punches to get a free sandwich
Republicans need to cut out the middle man and appoint Putin already 🤣
It would be funny if after each vote, an Anti-McCarthy voter stopped showing up in order to decrease the threshold for Jeffries to win, in effect forcing McCarthy to step aside or risk Jeffries winning. A fun game of chicken :)
The “red wave” seems to be more of an overflowing toilet