The late entry of Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) in the race to be the next Speaker of the House makes for an interesting effect on the campaign of Kevin McCarthy, (R-CA). Before Rep. Chaffetz entered the race, McCarthy was the majority leader and a favorite to win over Rep. Daniel Webster (R-FL). This has quickly become a three-way race, though, as he is rising in popularity and support rapidly.
Chaffetz is a new face, someone who is not a senior member, and someone who has new ideas. His platform is clear and direct, as he claims that there must be a "shakeup at the top" of the House GOP Conference and plans on doing this with new strategies instead of old, unsuccessful Republican processes. Recently, Chaffetz seized his chance to win the public over when McCarthy publicly stated that the work of the House Select Committee on Benghazi was essentially responsible for Hillary Clinton's falling poll numbers, which would suggest that the panel was only created and set up for political reasons. Clinton and many other Democrats jumped on this slip-up immediately, shaming McCarthy for his statement. Although he tried to control the damage he had done with an attempt to clarify his statements in a later interview, it seems as if Chaffetz's commentary on the occurrence has helped his public image. Chaffetz publicly disagreed with McCarthy and stated that he should apologize for his "inappropriate statements" about the House Select Committee.
This incident is an important occurrence for Chaffetz, especially taking into consideration the exact entry point of his bid for Speaker of the House. Clearly, entering late was a strategic move on Rep. Chaffetz's part, and the urgency of having to speak on controversy upon arrival makes Chaffetz look diligent and decisive. He also recently split with McCarthy on the "continuing resolution that averted a government shutdown" this past week. "McCarthy backed it, while Chaffetz was among the 151 Republicans who voted no." This disagreement with McCarthy can be beneficial to Chaffetz because it shows a clear distinction in the ideologies of both individuals. Chaffetz is already rising in popularity and after McCarthy's press incident, having opposing ideologies to his competition may prove to be the most beneficial of outcomes for him.
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/255840-chaffetzs-pitch-for-speaker-to-highlight-anti-establishment-credentials
2 comments:
According to several articles that I have been reading today, the bid to become Speaker of the House by Representative Jason Chaffetz comes amid unrest from conservatives driven by doubts that Kevin McCarthy will be able to handle the extreme right of the Republicans in the House. Chaffetz is saying how some members of the Republican party want a fresh face, as you mentioned in your post. I think this statement not only reflects the tensions between conservatives and establishment Republicans, but also concerns about McCarthy’s ability to communicate with the GOP and the public at large. As you also mentioned, those concerns grew after McCarthy made comments last week suggesting that a House investigation into the Benghazi attack in 2012 stemmed from political motivations. This Thursday the Republicans in the House are having a closed door election. McCarthy most likely will win this due to the advantage of announcing his bid earlier and has a lot of friendships built with other Republican representatives after spending years in office, showing the power of incumbency in office and not from a voting perspective. Nonetheless, when the voting opens to the entire House later in October, I think there will possibly be a surge in votes for Chaffetz coming from the Democrats due to McCarthy's remarks regarding Clinton, which will show how representatives stick to party lines as much as they can.
I agree with Emily that, though McCarthy may still win the vote on Thursday, that Chaffetz has really taken advantage of McCarthy's slip up last week, and he will most likely be favored by Democrats later this month. This could make the race for the Speakership an interesting one, and I look forward to finding out the outcome.
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