Kevin McCarthy Reaches for the Chapstick

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

If Donald Trump was the biggest loser in this past Tuesday's national election, and I submit that clearly he was, then the second place finisher for the race to the bottom among GOP all-stars is Speaker of the House wannabe - and current House Republican Leader - Kevin McCarthy.  While it now looks as though Republicans may have regained control of the US House of Representatives, though with just the slimmest of majorities, the elevation of their current leader to be the next Speaker should not be taken for granted.

If Republicans had been able to produce a "Big Red Wave" as many had forecast, then McCarthy's path onward and upward would have likely been assured, but because their margin of victory was so miserably small ascension to the Speaker's throne can no longer be assured.   McCarthy's right flank, the Crackpot or "Freedom" Caucus, in particular is unhappy about the GOP's poor performance on Election Day, and many of them are blaming the embarrassing turn of events on weak leadership from McCarthy.

And, as Yogi Berra would have likely opined, it is beginning to look like "deja vu all over again."

Back in 2015 when the right-wing firebrands in the Republican House forced John Boehner out of the Speakership, McCarthy as the House Leader thought he could finagle his way into the post.  However, McCarthy also ran into trouble from the conservative rabble in the Freedom Caucus and could not muster the votes to secure the position.  The House eventually settled on Paul Ryan of Wisconsin as a compromise candidate to fill the Speaker's post.

McCarthy, whose political ambitions were still far from quenched, spent the next seven years kissing as much rightwing butt as humanly possible in preparation for another run for Speaker, but with the party's poor performance at the polls this past Tuesday, all of that ass-kissing may have been in vain.

Republican members of the House will meet next Tuesday and select (by majority vote) a candidate to stand for the party in the Speaker's race which will be held before the full House on January 3rd.  McCarthy should easily win next Tuesday's intra-party vote, but it will take 218 votes to win the speakership in January, and it is unclear at this point whether he will be able to muster that much support or not.  Trump has endorsed him for the position, and he will be buoyed by a vote of confidence from a majority of Republican House members next week, but there are a few angry Republicans who could cast their votes for someone else and deny anyone a majority.  That could result in the elevation of a compromise candidate to lead the House - the same way that Paul Ryan rose from the ranks seven years ago.

If Kevin McCarthy is to prevail in the race to become Speaker of the House, he may once again have to breakout the Chapstick.

Spread it on thick, Kevin.  You're going to need it!