House Leadership Megathread: it's House of Cards but without the monologues

[Kingpoleon]

Rodgers-McCarthy-Webster-Ryan-Chaffetz-Gowdey would have been a far better race.

(left-right axis)

Rodgers also has the most experience leading a large group.

[Bigby]

So is it really just McCarthy vs Webster vs Chaffetz? God, this is so oddly boring...

[Horsemask]

Freedom Caucus to endorse Webster.

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/house-freedom-caucus-endorses-rep-webster-for-speaker-214527

It's like they want to be irrelevant.

[Bacon King]

Freedom Caucus to endorse Webster.

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/house-freedom-caucus-endorses-rep-webster-for-speaker-214527

It's like they want to be irrelevant.

The rules of the House Freedom Caucus require 80% of their members to agree on it before the organization itself makes an endorsement. There are 42 known members of the HFC (it's impossible to know their full member count because they do the whole Fight Club thing). This means at least 34 GOP Congressmen aren't voting for McCarthy. If they maintain their opposition through the actual Speaker election, it would keep McCarthy below 218 votes and prevent his election. There's no reason to believe they wouldn't actually do this, which means they have the leverage to demand major concessions from the Republican leadership. McCarthy must either pay their ransom in order to become Speaker, or call their bluff and risk a major embarrassment to both himself and the party.

This is what it feels like to be on the other side of obstructionism

[Negusa Nagast 🚀]

The Republican party continues to reap what it sowed.

[Crumpets]

Freedom Caucus to endorse Webster.

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/house-freedom-caucus-endorses-rep-webster-for-speaker-214527

It's like they want to be irrelevant.

The rules of the House Freedom Caucus require 80% of their members to agree on it before the organization itself makes an endorsement. There are 42 known members of the HFC (it's impossible to know their full member count because they do the whole Fight Club thing). This means at least 34 GOP Congressmen aren't voting for McCarthy. If they maintain their opposition through the actual Speaker election, it would keep McCarthy below 218 votes and prevent his election. There's no reason to believe they wouldn't actually do this, which means they have the leverage to demand major concessions from the Republican leadership. McCarthy must either pay their ransom in order to become Speaker, or call their bluff and risk a major embarrassment to both himself and the party.

This is what it feels like to be on the other side of obstructionism

If they hold the vote and no one gets 218 votes, what happens?

[Bacon King]

Freedom Caucus to endorse Webster.

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/house-freedom-caucus-endorses-rep-webster-for-speaker-214527

It's like they want to be irrelevant.

The rules of the House Freedom Caucus require 80% of their members to agree on it before the organization itself makes an endorsement. There are 42 known members of the HFC (it's impossible to know their full member count because they do the whole Fight Club thing). This means at least 34 GOP Congressmen aren't voting for McCarthy. If they maintain their opposition through the actual Speaker election, it would keep McCarthy below 218 votes and prevent his election. There's no reason to believe they wouldn't actually do this, which means they have the leverage to demand major concessions from the Republican leadership. McCarthy must either pay their ransom in order to become Speaker, or call their bluff and risk a major embarrassment to both himself and the party.

This is what it feels like to be on the other side of obstructionism

If they hold the vote and no one gets 218 votes, what happens?

they keep holding votes until a majority of voting Congressmen support a single candidate

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Freedom Caucus to endorse Webster.

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/10/house-freedom-caucus-endorses-rep-webster-for-speaker-214527

It's like they want to be irrelevant.

The rules of the House Freedom Caucus require 80% of their members to agree on it before the organization itself makes an endorsement. There are 42 known members of the HFC (it's impossible to know their full member count because they do the whole Fight Club thing). This means at least 34 GOP Congressmen aren't voting for McCarthy. If they maintain their opposition through the actual Speaker election, it would keep McCarthy below 218 votes and prevent his election. There's no reason to believe they wouldn't actually do this, which means they have the leverage to demand major concessions from the Republican leadership. McCarthy must either pay their ransom in order to become Speaker, or call their bluff and risk a major embarrassment to both himself and the party.

This is what it feels like to be on the other side of obstructionism

If they hold the vote and no one gets 218 votes, what happens?

Chaos

[Bacon King]

GOP conference vote for speaker is in 4 hours, fwiw

[Bacon King]

In an interview with a FOX reporter this morning, Webster proudly proclaimed he has been so busy campaigning for Speaker that he has not slept or eaten in two days

[Landslide Lyndon]

WOW!!!

https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/652157514948042752

MCCARTHY OUT. Drops out of race for speaker. Election postponed.

[Skye]

WOW!!!

https://twitter.com/JakeSherman/status/652157514948042752

MCCARTHY OUT. Drops out of race for speaker. Election postponed.

What the hell. This is so stunning.

[Landslide Lyndon]

LOL, Trump!

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/652159403748016128

Great, Kevin McCarthy drops out of SPEAKER race. We need a really smart and really tough person to take over this very  important job!

[Bacon King]

Looks like he chose to bow out and remain Majority Leader rather than sell his soul to the Liberty Caucus

[Del Tachi]

Time to start courting Democrats to get to 218.

Charlie Dent for Speaker?

[DrScholl]

Democrats should vote for the craziest Republican possible for Speaker since they have absolutely nothing to lose. Help Republicans over that cliff into further insanity.

[Landslide Lyndon]

Time to start courting Democrats to get to 218.

Charlie Dent for Speaker?

Not a chance. The crazies will have a field day in primaries against the members who vote for a compromise with Democrats candidate.

[Brittain33]

GOH FOR GOHMERT

[Bacon King]

Just to point out, there's currently a resolution under consideration by the House that would require a secret ballot for the Speaker election...

[Del Tachi]

Just to point out, there's currently a resolution under consideration by the House that would require a secret ballot for the Speaker election...

If that were to pass it would be hilarious to watch how spectacularly the math didn't add up after every Speaker election haha

[Negusa Nagast 🚀]

If they go to secret ballot, Pelosi ( or a moderate Dem), should pledge to abandon the Hastert rule if elected.

[Bacon King]

Dana Rorabacher proposing a "caretaker speaker" just to have a warm body filling the office until the next election

[Bacon King]

House Freedom Caucus meeting right now to find a viable compromise candidate - word is no luck so far

[Del Tachi]

If they go to secret ballot, Pelosi ( or a moderate Dem), should pledge to abandon the Hastert rule if elected.

This currently seems more likely than a GOP'er securing 218 as anything other than a temporary Speaker. 

[The Other Castro]

If they go to secret ballot, Pelosi ( or a moderate Dem), should pledge to abandon the Hastert rule if elected.

This currently seems more likely than a GOP'er securing 218 as anything other than a temporary Speaker. 

Maybe this will end up transforming the Speakership into a neutral position like in the UK House of Commons.