2023 Republican House Follies

[Daehawk]

I'm pretty sure the GOP brand has taken a severe hit over the last ~3 weeks based on their inability to govern.

Oh wait. You were serious. Because This was the thing that hurt the GOP brand after Insurrection, election denial, trying to dismantle SS and medicare again and again, essentially overturning RvW, The leader of their party constantly under expressible legitimate criminal scrutiny as well as aligning with dictators and stating out loud how much he admires them. And more. And more. And more. This particular GOP fuckery is going to hit their brand? The hit left for them take is either the collapse of federal institution or generation landslide, whichever comes first. Fight the good fight until then or something happens that I'm too stupid to see.

Perfectly said. DC needs a generational renewal. Its like farming a field. You need to let it lay fallow a few years before you fertilize it again.

[Carpet_pissr]

It certainly was a "gamble" and I'm pretty sure the GOP brand has taken a severe hit over the last ~3 weeks based on their inability to govern.

I think (hope? Without evidence?) that what happened this month helped elucidate to some portion of America the fact that the GOP literally could not govern. It's been clear for many (seriously, many) years that the GOP can't and aren't interested in governing effectively, but these last few weeks have been something else entirely.

I would put that first part differently...for the last X years, there's been a growing faction of the GOP that seemed primarily interested in simply blocking any D initiatives - that was the strategy - obstructionism. We've progressed from that (or added to maybe) to now having a large and vocal faction that wants to throw flaming garbage cans through the windows of government. And they represent I think, a significant portion of the population.

No compromise. Happy to not even HAVE a speaker. Just tear shit up and (presumably, at some point) start over with their very far right ideals. Or simply go Fascist Lite.

Fun facts:

- One in 10 American adults believe the U.S. government is run by Satan-worshipping pedophiles
- More than two and a half years after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, a new study estimates some 12 million Americans would support violence to restore former President Donald Trump to power.
-Nearly a quarter of Americans (23%) agree that "because things have gotten so far off track, true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country," according to the survey. This is up from 15% in 2021.
- and shocking no one: "Currently one-third of Republicans support violence as a means to save the country, compared with 22% of independents and 13% of Democrats, the survey found. More specifically, Republicans who have favorable views of Donald Trump were found to be "nearly three times as likely as Republicans who have unfavorable views of Trump" to support political violence."
- Compared to past surveys, researchers also found an uptick in support for conspiracy theories among Americans — specifically QAnon. According to PRRI, there has been a significant increase in "QAnon believers (from 14% to 23%)," as well as a "a decrease in QAnon rejecters," since 2021. However, Republicans are still twice as likely as Democrats to agree with the core beliefs of the QAnon conspiracy theory.

PRRI + Brookings Institution poll in the last two points above, but not sure if sample size is large enough to be significant (around 2,500). They have been asking the same questions consistently for years though, so that adds to the meaning IMO (and the more disturbing ones are increasing).

https://www.prri.org/research/threats-t ... -election/

[Smoove_B]

Oh wait. You were serious.

I am. The House was at a standstill for the last 3 weeks. While there's definitely a part of the party (most?) that actively support something like this, it also completely stops them from proposing and trying to pass awful legislation on whatever hot topic the base will respond to. So in that sense, do think they took a hit, yes. Whether or not it matters - I'm guessing the next ~30 days will be critical in the overall trajectory - remains to be seen.

(hey, I'm trying to be hopeful here. I can't be gloom and doom in every thread. )

[Apollo]

...Also, this "MAGA branch" is entirely the creation of the entire Republican Party. As much as the Democratic party blows it, they still represent the adult in the room and the only Party you seem to lay the blame at...

Imagine having two children, one of which is highly intelligent, kindhearted, mature and reasonable and another that is an angry imbecile, violent, hateful, and always acting out and causing trouble to get attention. Now, imagine you come home from work one day and the imbecile has burned down the house while the reasonable child, who could easily have intervened, stood by and watched and then told you "See how bad he is daddy! I told you so!", who are you going to be more disappointed in?

[Smoove_B]

Things are going to be fine.

Here's House Speaker Mike Johnson in 2003 denouncing the Supreme Court for throwing out sodomy laws. Johnson said states had a right to criminalize homosexuality, and even suggested that the government should be allowed to ban any sex outside of marriage. He's a Christo-fascist.

[Carpet_pissr]

...Also, this "MAGA branch" is entirely the creation of the entire Republican Party. As much as the Democratic party blows it, they still represent the adult in the room and the only Party you seem to lay the blame at...

Imagine having two children, one of which is highly intelligent, kindhearted, mature and reasonable and another that is an angry imbecile, violent, hateful, and always acting out and causing trouble to get attention. Now, imagine you come home from work one day and the imbecile has burned down the house while the reasonable child, who could easily have intervened, stood by and watched and then told you "See how bad he is daddy! I told you so!", who are you going to be more disappointed in?

Realistically? Myself, for raising a sociopathic dullard arsonist.

[Apollo]

...Realistically? Myself, for raising a sociopathic dullard arsonist.

Hey, cut yourself some slack, at least you did well with one of them.

[Holman]

...Also, this "MAGA branch" is entirely the creation of the entire Republican Party. As much as the Democratic party blows it, they still represent the adult in the room and the only Party you seem to lay the blame at...

Imagine having two children, one of which is highly intelligent, kindhearted, mature and reasonable and another that is an angry imbecile, violent, hateful, and always acting out and causing trouble to get attention. Now, imagine you come home from work one day and the imbecile has burned down the house while the reasonable child, who could easily have intervened, stood by and watched and then told you "See how bad he is daddy! I told you so!", who are you going to be more disappointed in?

Any Republican Speaker of the House elected with significant Democratic support would be vacated within hours if not minutes.

[Holman]

Things are going to be fine.

"Mike Johnson" was clearly grown in a lab for the purpose of looking like a reasonably successful suburban dentist while ushering in Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale.

[stessier]

Yeah, that plan has no basis in reality. Like McCarthy gets reelected and Gaetz throws up his hands and says "Well, I tried!"

[Alefroth]

and another that is an angry imbecile, violent, hateful, and always acting out and causing trouble to get attention.

Why did you put this one in charge?

[Victoria Raverna]

...Also, this "MAGA branch" is entirely the creation of the entire Republican Party. As much as the Democratic party blows it, they still represent the adult in the room and the only Party you seem to lay the blame at...

Imagine having two children, one of which is highly intelligent, kindhearted, mature and reasonable and another that is an angry imbecile, violent, hateful, and always acting out and causing trouble to get attention. Now, imagine you come home from work one day and the imbecile has burned down the house while the reasonable child, who could easily have intervened, stood by and watched and then told you "See how bad he is daddy! I told you so!", who are you going to be more disappointed in?

Any Republican Speaker of the House elected with significant Democratic support would be vacated within hours if not minutes.

Then Democrats should vote to keep McCarthy. While he can't be trusted, he showed that he can at least somewhat work with the Democrats when needed.

It is stupid to help Gaetz removed McCarthy since there is no way someone that is better than McCarthy can become the speaker since they won't be able to get Trump's support.

It is just like not voting for Biden is going to help someone worse like Trump to become the POTUS. Not voting to keep McCarthy was also going to help someone worse to become the speaker.

[waitingtoconnect]

He thanked Jeffries and McCarthy in his acceptance speech! Commie commie traitor to our country!!

[Kurth]

Things are going to be fine.

"Mike Johnson" was clearly grown in a lab for the purpose of looking like a reasonably successful suburban dentist while ushering in Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale.

Did everyone listen to his 18 minute long initial speech from the House floor (linked to above)? It was something else. I think Holman captures it perfectly with this post.

He seems imminently personable, friendly, eloquent, intelligent. Has a great personal story. He opens with some kind words for the Democrats, extends a hand to Hakeem Jeffries and goes on to make several other bipartisan overtures. His delivery is smooth but genuine. His words seem reasonable until you realize that a sizable portion of what he's saying seems to signal that he's comfortable with turning this country into a Christian theocracy.

We'll have to see how it plays out, but he scares me. I don't get strong MAGA vibes from him. MAGA, at least to me, is all about (1) having no shame; or (2) being too stupid to know you should be ashamed. Johnson doesn't seem like he fits either. He's smart and he doesn't hide it. And he doesn't strike me as someone incapable of being shamed. He seems more like a charismatic religious zealot. That's worrisome.

[Victoria Raverna]

Then maybe it is not that bad. He'll be able to work with Democrats to avoid shutdown.

[hepcat]

Let’s get some dirt on him. I’ll get my camera. Stessier, you get the Jessica Rabbit costume.

[Holman]

Then maybe it is not that bad. He'll be able to work with Democrats to avoid shutdown.

I think you're far enough away to miss what's really happening here.

Your earlier point that Democrats should have voted to keep McCarthy misses that Republicans would have immediately dumped him again, as the rules allowed. Maybe there would have been another round in which Dems again voted to save McCarthy, but at that point all of the GOP political pressure would have been to dump him once and for all with all the GOP's votes. There's no scenario in which the Dems "save" McCarthy's Speakership (and remember that he was himself a huge Trumpian asshole, anathema to all Democratic priorities) for more than a day or two.

Meanwhile, the new guy (Mike Johnson) wasn't selected to work with Democrats but to precisely not do that. This guy was deep in the effort to deny Biden's election in 2021, and now he's literally in charge of certifying the election results in 2025. He's a Christian Nationalist in all but name, and there's no way he works for any agenda but that.

[GreenGoo]

This is what it looks like when the drumpf clown show gets replaced by someone competent. This has been predicted since prior to Biden's election, and was going to happen in the near future even if MacCarthy remained speaker.

This guy makes "women are scary" Pence look moderate.

This is not a surprise and not preventable by the dems. It's millions of Americans deciding that democracy isn't so great if they don't get their way on everything. Actually, let me rephrase. If the other people live in ways they don't like.

[Carpet_pissr]

Things are going to be fine.

"Mike Johnson" was clearly grown in a lab for the purpose of looking like a reasonably successful suburban dentist while ushering in Margaret Atwood's Handmaid's Tale.

LOL!

[Carpet_pissr]

Meanwhile, the new guy (Mike Johnson) wasn't selected to work with Democrats but to precisely not do that. This guy was deep in the effort to deny Biden's election in 2021, and now he's literally in charge of certifying the election results in 2025. He's a Christian Nationalist in all but name,

And by name, I think we all know it's not really "Mike Johnson", but Mikhael Ivanovych. I'm sure we've all seen The Americans.

And if you haven't, shame on you, get thee to watching, that is RIGHT up there with Band of Brothers and Breaking Bad.

[El Guapo]

So is he definitely shutting down the government in a few weeks, or only maybe shutting down the government in a few weeks?

[Zaxxon]

So is he definitely shutting down the government in a few weeks, or only maybe shutting down the government in a few weeks?

Maybe definitely in and for a few weeks/months. Possibly.

[Smoove_B]

Unclear, but the list of demands is likely going to be gross.

[Carpet_pissr]

So is he definitely shutting down the government in a few weeks, or only maybe shutting down the government in a few weeks?

Not if every American bows the knee and proclaims Jesus Chrst to be the One and Only Savior*. And he wants to see it live via some kind of national TV broadcast, too.

*(unless one wants to make a 10% annual salary donation to his Crusa...mission, in which case you will be exempted from the bowing and swearing part)

[El Guapo]

And oh my god, but Johnson's inevitable Meet the Press appearance is going to be so infuriating.

[hepcat]

Unclear, but the list of demands is likely going to be gross.

He'll definitely shut down the government if being gay isn't declared illegal...except in the case of George Santos because he's the good kind of gay.

[Pyperkub]

...Also, this "MAGA branch" is entirely the creation of the entire Republican Party. As much as the Democratic party blows it, they still represent the adult in the room and the only Party you seem to lay the blame at...

Imagine having two children, one of which is highly intelligent, kindhearted, mature and reasonable and another that is an angry imbecile, violent, hateful, and always acting out and causing trouble to get attention. Now, imagine you come home from work one day and the imbecile has burned down the house while the reasonable child, who could easily have intervened, stood by and watched and then told you "See how bad he is daddy! I told you so!", who are you going to be more disappointed in?

given the confluence with the Maine shooter last night, I'm inclined to suspect he announced his presence with AUTHORITAH!

[Kraken]

What worries me most about Johnson is that he looks like Stephen Colbert, but he won't be funny because he doesn't realize he's a parody.

[malchior]

The folks at No Labels who are totally not oligarchic stooges praised him as a "moderate" in temperament. This is a bad sign. He is acceptable to MAGA (Christian nationalism/fascism) and dark money which is why he probably sailed through. FWIW McCarthy was also mostly acceptable to MAGA and dark money.

Members associated with No Labels, the centrist political organization plotting a third-party presidential bid, are singing the praises of newly minted House Speaker Mike Johnson — casting him as, at least temperamentally, a moderate.

“He’s a Reagan Republican, not a Trump Republican,” said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) in a Zoom call organized by No Labels and attended by a few hundred of the group’s supporters. Fitzpatrick is part of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus that is backed by No Labels.

...

Though No Labels has tried to situate itself as a bipartisan, common sense alternative to both parties, Democrats have raised concerns the group’s planned third-party bid will hurt Biden’s reelection efforts. No Labels maintains that its mission appeals to both parties. It has cited Trump’s electoral claims, and specifically his attempt “to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power after he lost the 2020 election” as one of the central reasons it opposes him.

On Wednesday’s call, Fitzpatrick said, “We stand by the fact that Joe Biden was legitimately elected president of the United States.” He acknowledged that there were “some irregularities” in some states but not to the extent Trump claimed. “It didn’t change the outcome of the election,” he said.

“We disagree with Mike on that,” Fitzpatrick continued. “And I’m not sure Mike would do the same thing today.”

^^ How convenient a statement. We won't know if that's true until it's too late but why not cut him a break. It's not like he's a closet fascist or anything who sees human beings as a piggy bank for elders.

[El Guapo]

All the "moderate" or establishment wing of the GOP wants these days, reduced as it is, is to be able to pretend that they're not supporting what they are supporting. Mike Johnson lets them pretend in a way that Jordan or Scalise didn't. Hence they got on board.

[malchior]

All the "moderate" or establishment wing of the GOP wants these days, reduced as it is, is to be able to pretend that they're not supporting what they are supporting. Mike Johnson lets them pretend in a way that Jordan or Scalise didn't. Hence they got on board.

Yeah. It'll last until he inevitably has to do something terrible to keep the caucus from yanking the chain but they got past the immediate crisis.

[YellowKing]

All the "moderate" or establishment wing of the GOP wants these days, reduced as it is, is to be able to pretend that they're not supporting what they are supporting.

See also: "Independents"

[Carpet_pissr]

All the "moderate" or establishment wing of the GOP wants these days, reduced as it is, is to be able to pretend that they're not supporting what they are supporting. Mike Johnson lets them pretend in a way that Jordan or Scalise didn't. Hence they got on board.

Based on what, his mousey looks? I don't get it. Or maybe the near-anonymity until now? Nobody has heard of him, so he doesn't have (as) visible a track record as say, Matt Gaetz, the known pedo?

[Kurth]

All the "moderate" or establishment wing of the GOP wants these days, reduced as it is, is to be able to pretend that they're not supporting what they are supporting. Mike Johnson lets them pretend in a way that Jordan or Scalise didn't. Hence they got on board.

Yeah. It'll last until he inevitably has to do something terrible to keep the caucus from yanking the chain but they got past the immediate crisis.

Isn't that "terrible" thing agreeing to fund the government and avoid a shutdown? And won't that be happening in the very, very near future?

Seems like we're not going to have to wait very long to see what Johnson's approach is.

[El Guapo]

All the "moderate" or establishment wing of the GOP wants these days, reduced as it is, is to be able to pretend that they're not supporting what they are supporting. Mike Johnson lets them pretend in a way that Jordan or Scalise didn't. Hence they got on board.

Based on what, his mousey looks? I don't get it. Or maybe the near-anonymity until now? Nobody has heard of him, so he doesn't have (as) visible a track record as say, Matt Gaetz, the known pedo?

Yeah, pretty much all the things that you just listed.

[malchior]

All the "moderate" or establishment wing of the GOP wants these days, reduced as it is, is to be able to pretend that they're not supporting what they are supporting. Mike Johnson lets them pretend in a way that Jordan or Scalise didn't. Hence they got on board.

Yeah. It'll last until he inevitably has to do something terrible to keep the caucus from yanking the chain but they got past the immediate crisis.

Isn't that "terrible" thing agreeing to fund the government and avoid a shutdown? And won't that be happening in the very, very near future?

Seems like we're not going to have to wait very long to see what Johnson's approach is.

Exactly. I'm assuming that knowing the hardliners will freak over a CR that he may give them some red meat beforehand to get it.

[GreenGoo]

Seems like we're not going to have to wait very long to see what Johnson's approach is.

This was my initial thought as well, but I've been thinking that if he can keep the government funded in November he will have bought a LOT of good will with the Dems (and the country, potentially). That might have uses down the line. If he can convince the "burn it down" crowd to ease off a bit.

It's hard to know because I don't know what kind of strategist he is. If he's just another ideologue with little in the way of tactics, then we're going to see him come out of the gate swinging, as you suggest.

[Pyperkub]

Seems like we're not going to have to wait very long to see what Johnson's approach is.

This was my initial thought as well, but I've been thinking that if he can keep the government funded in November he will have bought a LOT of good will with the Dems (and the country, potentially). That might have uses down the line. If he can convince the "burn it down" crowd to ease off a bit.

It's hard to know because I don't know what kind of strategist he is. If he's just another ideologue with little in the way of tactics, then we're going to see him come out of the gate swinging, as you suggest.

I expect the Culture/IRS war/other poison pill items the folks who put him in office have been demanding to put into the budget, will be in. Maybe they will be addressed in reconciliation down the road, which would at least generate less ill will, tho I seriously doubt there will be any good will.

[Smoove_B]

Seems like we're not going to have to wait very long to see what Johnson's approach is.

Might not need to wait too long. Word on the street is that funding for the PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) program is being discussed and both House Representatives and Senators are refusing to support it unless there changes to the program's position on abortion and sexual health.

PEPFAR is credited with saving 25 million lives in 55 countries, including 5.5 million infants born HIV-free. It was created by then-President George W. Bush and Congress to extend treatment for the AIDS epidemic, which has killed more than 40 million people since 1981, to hard-hit areas of Africa where the cost of treatment put it out of reach.

The number of children in sub-Saharan Africa newly orphaned by AIDS reached a peak of 1.6 million in 2004, the year that PEPFAR began its rollout of HIV drugs, researchers wrote in a defense of the program published by The Lancet medical journal. In 2021, the number of new orphans had dropped to 382,000. Deaths of infants and young children from AIDS in the region have dropped by 80%.

[Grifman]

I as m not a fan of Johnson as he is an election denier but his immediate budget plans are pretty reasonable. He knows they are behind the curve and so he is planning on asking for a 3 to 6 month continuing resolution to give the House time to do what needs to be done. So at least for now he’s not about blowing it up:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna122161

We’ll see what happens after that.