UPDATE: Emmer lasted all of three hours. He just dropped out. Apparently, a single post on Truth Social from Trump did the trick. After calling Emmer a RINO, Emmer gave up. So here we are again. Trump doesn’t have the power to get any of his people elected. All he can do is destroy everyone else. Back on the treadmill, we go.
It’s been over three weeks with no solution in sight. The speakership of the House of Representatives is vacant, and Congress is handicapped. Republicans have once again proven their inability to govern and unwillingness to face reality.
After McCarthy was unceremoniously unseated, subsequent nominees for Speaker of the House failed to achieve the necessary 217 votes. Steve Scalise gave up, and Jim Jordan got fewer votes in the third round of voting than in the first. Clearly, the latest nominee, Tom Emmer, is the best we can do if we want Congress to resume the critical work they were elected to do.
While their de facto leader is flailing in his attempts to maintain his charade of success and America is faced with financing two wars in the weeks before another looming government shut-down, it’s time for the adults to take the reins.
Emmer isn’t a great leader, but he does have leadership experience. He also voted to certify the 2020 election, so he’s not drinking the Trump Kool-Aid. This makes him the most qualified Republican nominee to date — it’s also why Emmer won’t get enough votes from Republicans to take the speakership. But here’s the thing: there must be a dozen or so rational Republicans who want to govern and are as tired of this fiasco as the rest of us. And that’s all we need.
Democrats may balk at voting for a Republican instead of a genuinely talented leader like minority leader Jakim Jeffries, but we have passed the point of no return. Republicans jumped off the deep end without a life preserver, and the only way to save the House and begin the work of governing is for Democrats to do something bold and effective: they need to rally around a vote for Tom Emmer.
If every Democrat who voted for Jeffries in the past (210) joins just seven Republicans, they can end this circus and restore functionality to the House of Representatives.
The ruling party is paralyzed
Yes, it’s a sad day when the minority party must take the lead and solve the problem for the majority, who have no capacity for governing, but it’s where we are. And the first rule of problem-solving is to face the reality of where you are now — not where you’d like to be.
And yes, it’s ridiculous that Republicans with rational minds won’t reach out to Democrats to request their help in solving this together, but the entire party is now held hostage — even those who don’t believe Trump belongs in the White House. We have no reason to believe Republicans will ask for help from Democrats — despite how desperately they need it.
This is what happens when critical thinking is thwarted by maniacal devotion to a cult leader. Even as Trump is going down in flames with numerous trials and no good news in sight for the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, disgraced ex-president, the lemmings who’ve pledged fealty to him are paralyzed to do anything but run around in circles and bow to him in submission.
It will be up to Democrats to take control and install a speaker who can bring issues to the floor and allow Congress to vote on aid for the Middle East and Ukraine. Despite Biden’s leadership capacity, the separation of powers inherent in our system of government makes it impossible for him to do what needs to be done without the support of Congress.
If Democrats do not swallow their pride and agree to meet with a handful of moderate Republicans to reach an agreement on Emmer as speaker, we will continue to run ever faster on the treadmill, going nowhere.
This has to end. Let’s end it. NOW.