As Jake had pointed out earlier today, Kevin McCarthy decided to drop out of the race for the new Speaker of the House. Regardless of what the reason may have been, the biggest question that scholars, politicians, and citizens alike are asking now is who is the new speaker going to be then. The Hill wrote an informative article on 7 possible candidates for speaker. What was most interesting about the article was the fact that they brought up John Boehner again. The article explains that Boehner is going to act as Speaker until the House elects a new one. Could it be that there is so much disagreement within the Republican party that they will not be able to all get behind a single candidate? I think with the disparities that are seen in the GOP already, it wouldn't necessarily be improbable that Boehner sticks around for a lot longer. However, since Boehner has already claimed he is resigning, is there any way for him to re-acquire the position?
There are certainly members of Congress that would like to see Boehner stick around, and if he was forced out by members of his party, it may be possible that other members of the GOP convince him to take a stand. However the more plausible way that Boehner would stick around is what the article explains. Not very many members of the party want an interim speaker who would be a "caretaker." Many of the options that the party would present might be turned down, or not gain the support they would need (which would still leave Boehner as the Speaker). Eventually, if the party couldn't get enough support for a new speaker, wouldn't they have to give it up and stick with Boehner for a little while longer?
I'm sure that Boehner will no longer be speaker by the end of the year, but it is certainly something to think about since the GOP has so much division even within their own party.
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/256456-seven-republicans-who-could-be-speaker
1 comment:
You introduce an interesting idea, maybe accidentally. It appears difficult for the GOP to come together and agree on one person to become Speaker, especially after they had someone who they thought would do the job they wanted in McCarthy and he has now backed away. How long will Boehner stay as Speaker? Will he wait for the Republicans to find the perfect fit? I tend to think not, because part of his motivation to resign is his discomfort and dislike with the job, but maybe he can be convinced to stay indefinitely. The GOP seems to be caught between unwanted options: indefinite Boehner, an unpopular interim Speaker, or finding an imperfect permanent solution. My prediction: Republicans find a temporary Speaker to make more time to find a better option. They don't want to mess up and hurt the chances of the Republican nominee in 2016.
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