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

[Brittain33]

GOH FOR GOHMERT

[Brittain33]

The hype surrounding Paul Ryan continues to build. It's leaked that Boehner personally asked him to reconsider, he's McCarthy's top choice, and he was mentioned as an acceptable candidate for Speaker by literally every Republican Member of Congress I saw interviewed today (at least twenty of them)

I'm pretty sure that he will be branded a traitor the moment he tries to raise the debt ceiling or pass some spending bills.

Exactly. Ryan is smarter than this.

[Brittain33]

If that is what happens, the Pub primary season for House races might get a lot more interesting. Some forces out there might be motivated to try to cull the Freedom Caucus.

I think there is no shortage of money and experienced party leaders who would sign onto that, but I really wonder what the message of that campaign would be. It's just way too easy to paint opposition to the Freedom Caucus as being "less conservative" or "more moderate," the same way Modern Orthodox Jews are misleadingly referred to as "less religious" or "less observant" than Haredim.

I would worry that the Freedom Caucus is going to attempt to expand its ranks with more David Brats.

[Brittain33]

This still seems unsettled to me. Why would Ryan accept this partial endorsement? He'd be screwed as Speaker of the House if he took it on these terms.