The question is answered in the first three words. "I'm a Republican" = YTA.
The democrats are not to blame. They have been consistent throughout. They didn't want McCarthy back in January and they didn't want him three weeks ago. The GOP filed the motion to vacate, forcing the democrats to answer honestly: Nope, We Still Don't Want Him. At any time it would have taken about five republicans, fewer than half the number of republicans (and only republicans) that held the chamber hostage for three weeks, to cross the aisle and elect Hakeem Jeffries. If anyone thinks the D bear responsibility, they must admit the GOP bears tenfold.
And if they didn't want Hakeem Jeffries specifically, they could have bargained for someone else. If they were in the mood to cross the aisle, they would be holding all the cards.
Republicans like circling the wagons to the point that the horses get choked out and they're elbowing each other in the face.
There are a few moderate Republicans and yes they could have gone across the aisle, but they would never let Jeffries become Speaker. That was never an option on the table and it would have created a very dysfunctional House. After all, Committees would still be run by the Majority and it just wouldn’t be possible to run the House that way. Too many logistical challenges and broken norms to make it work. What they would have done had moderate Republicans reached across the aisle is to elect a Republican speaker with several concessions that would ensure Democratic legislation could stand a chance of getting out of Committee and onto the Floor for a vote. That price was apparently too high as well, since 100% of Republicans voted for Mike Johnson.
The question is answered in the first three words. "I'm a Republican" = YTA.
The democrats are not to blame. They have been consistent throughout. They didn't want McCarthy back in January and they didn't want him three weeks ago. The GOP filed the motion to vacate, forcing the democrats to answer honestly: Nope, We Still Don't Want Him. At any time it would have taken about five republicans, fewer than half the number of republicans (and only republicans) that held the chamber hostage for three weeks, to cross the aisle and elect Hakeem Jeffries. If anyone thinks the D bear responsibility, they must admit the GOP bears tenfold.
And if they didn't want Hakeem Jeffries specifically, they could have bargained for someone else. If they were in the mood to cross the aisle, they would be holding all the cards.
Republicans like circling the wagons to the point that the horses get choked out and they're elbowing each other in the face.
There are a few moderate Republicans and yes they could have gone across the aisle, but they would never let Jeffries become Speaker. That was never an option on the table and it would have created a very dysfunctional House. After all, Committees would still be run by the Majority and it just wouldn’t be possible to run the House that way. Too many logistical challenges and broken norms to make it work. What they would have done had moderate Republicans reached across the aisle is to elect a Republican speaker with several concessions that would ensure Democratic legislation could stand a chance of getting out of Committee and onto the Floor for a vote. That price was apparently too high as well, since 100% of Republicans voted for Mike Johnson.