Kevin McCarthy is frantically scrambling for the 218 votes he needs to be appointed Speaker of the House. After an unusual set of six no confidence votes, the current leader in polls remains Democrat Hakeem Jeffries. Twenty republican holdouts are blocking the appointment. Jim Jordan scored all twenty holdout votes in the sixth round.
McCarthy remains confidant
Kevin McCarthy is convinced that if he keeps everyone there long enough, sooner or later they’ll let him have the speaker’s gavel. It’s not that simple. The prize is so close he can taste it but seems about to be ripped from his hand by the conservative faction for yet a third time.
Americans are riveted to the proceedings because the last thing conservatives want is a RINO in Nancy Pelosi’s slot. We might as well appoint Jeffries. The holdout faction is considering that option for leverage.
Jim Jordan, on the other hand would make a great House Speaker. He’s one of the few true conservatives in Washington who spends his workdays working for We the People.
Kevin McCarthy is in bed with Big Tech lobbyists and the entire deep state.
He’s been in GOP leadership for fourteen years and look where he’s gotten us:
A defective, morally bankrupt uniparty. That’s his legacy. #NEVERMcCarthy pic.twitter.com/61P9jsmb7V
— Addison Smith (@AddisonSmithOAN) January 4, 2023
His oversight attempts get blocked at every turn but he’s still out there fighting every single day. Drafting Jordan would be a blow to McCarthy and his ego but patriotic American nationalists say he’ll get over it.
Jordan would need to be “drafted” into the job because he continues to back McCarthy. He may be the most qualified of all the alternatives suggested but he’s not egotistical enough to make a behind the scenes power play to get the position. Being in the spotlight would be a distraction to his oversight work.
Jim would simply be thrilled if Kevin caved in and appointed conservatives as committee chairs. That’s really the big sticking point keeping things in limbo.
Back again at 8 p.m.
Everyone involved, both friends and foes of Kevin McCarthy are “meeting behind closed doors Wednesday night.” As of this writing, they’re expected to get back to work again at 8:00 p.m. Eastern time. One of the alternative candidates, Patrick McHenry, relates “multiple meetings happening right now” were going on behind the scenes trying to swing a deal.
They aren’t ready to simply back down. “We’ll have ongoing negotiations with them through the evening, maybe for the future coming days.”
Majority Whip-elect Tom Emmer “was hosting a meeting with supporters and opponents of McCarthy.” Two of the foes, Matt Gaetz and Ralph Norman, were spotted going in to that conclave as Jason Smith and Dusty Johnson were coming out.
BREAKING: After a meeting with Kevin McCarthy, Rep. @MattGaetz says he is “a desperate guy whose vote share is dropping” and says he’s willing to vote “all night, all week all month, but never for that person.”
— ALX 🇺🇸 (@alx) January 4, 2023
None of them could offer the press “any indication of whether a breakthrough was possible or imminent.” On his way in, Gaetz quipped Kevin could make it a lot easier if he simply dropped out.
Wednesday turned into a grueling day on the House floor, after an equally frustrating previous day. The House “failed on three votes for speaker Tuesday, then adjourned.” Everyone knew Kevin wasn’t going to win the first round of balloting, which is highly unusual.
“The first two votes Tuesday included 19 votes for candidates besides McCarthy, which became 20 after Rep.-elect Bryon Donalds flipped to the anti-McCarthy side in the third vote.” By Wednesday, Jordan became the clear favorite of holdouts.
