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When the Freedom Caucus bounced Kevin McCarthy last October, I kicked my feet back and ate my popcorn. Watching the next three weeks of Republican humiliation as the party dragged itself through the mud was comedic gold. Even near the end, when the press started to demand Democrats step in and save the GOP from its own stupidity and dysfunction, I couldn’t get enough of it.
Not a whole lot has changed since then. The idea of watching House Republicans set themselves on fire just six and half months before the election has me stocking up on popcorn again. Just in case.
However, should the House Putin Freedom Caucus move to oust Mike Johnson, I really do think Democrats should step in and save him.1
Why in god’s name would I say such a thing?
Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake - Napoleon Bonaparte
Good advice, right? If Republicans are going to do something stupid, let them. And it’s not like Johnson is a nice guy, anyway. Pro-Trump. Anti-abortion. Kind of creepy. Not going to miss him when he’s gone.
Buuuuut…Johnson, in his short time as Speaker, has done something unusual for a Republican. He hasn’t been a backstabbing lying sack of shit:
I’m still not entirely sure what to make of this. It should be obvious I have zero brief for this guy. But I will note that what one consistently hears from House Democrats is that they see him differently than McCarthy. To them McCarthy was a backstabber and a notorious liar. They say Johnson has been straight with them. And to be clear, as at least I understand it, this means simply that he hasn’t lied to them, told them one thing and then double crossed them. That presumably provides a level of trust that they can come to some understanding with him.
Kevin McCarthy was such a slimy weasel that even his own people hated his guts. He lied to everyone about everything. He had absolutely no ideology beyond, “I want to be Speaker.” In that way, he was very much like Trump but without the charisma.2
So when his own caucus nuked him, Democrats had zero incentive to step in and help. McCarthy had screwed them over repeatedly so why would they?
Now, it’s not like Johnson has come to the rescue of Democrats so they owe him anything. That’s not what I’m suggesting at all.
However, if he has been straight with them, that is something worth keeping around. A Republican that negotiates in good faith is a rare thing. Sure, his values are vile but that’s all Republicans. There’s no avoiding that. But if you have to deal with ick, and we do, it’s better to deal with ick that is honest about it.
Let’s put it this way: Johnson is putting his job on the line to get something important done for national security. It’s not even an immediate economic crisis like the debt ceiling or a government shutdown. This is something with a longer timeline and he’s doing it anyway. That’s something Republicans rarely do anymore and something we need at any given time but especially now.
I’m not saying Democrats should have complete faith and confidence in Johnson. He’s still a Republican and I’m still 80% sure his actual job is to help Trump steal the election in January. But there is a slim chance that the weight and responsibility of the job have had an impact. Sometimes, just sometimes, moving from the back bench to the top job is enough to change one’s perspective. I’d rather take a risk on someone who’s shown a modicum of integrity than risk having MAGA trash like Marjorie Taylor Greene take power.
While I have little faith (none, actually) that the GOP can pull out of the suicide course it has set for itself with Trump, there is going to be a post-Trump world. If there’s any chance for the Republican Party to purge its extremist elements, we should probably help. At the very least, we can say we tried as we sit on the cliffside and watch them crash and burn.
While eating our popcorn.
There are 199 days until the 2024 election.3 Vote blue like your life depends on it.
I swear on the life of my children, I am not being held hostage and this is not an AI writing thi1110010100100101001.
Funny Dungeons & Dragons side note: When I was explaining how Charisma works in the game, I said it doesn’t have to be based on looks and used Trump as an example. All the girls agreed that he was gross but also that he has millions of people slavishly devoted to him. That’s non-looks-based charisma.
That’s right! Less than 200 days left!!!
I see your point. What lunatic would they replace Johnson with? But I’m still worried. What about that meeting with the orange menace last week? What are they cooking up? Johnson will absolutely step in & hand the election to trump, or delay the count, whatever. I think the odds of that are near 100%.
I am a behaviorist. I believe in positive rewards and positive punishment. I like the clarity.
Johnson is doing the right thing. Positive reward.
If he later does the wrong thing? Positive punishment.
And on a more expansive level, doing what is good for national security and our international relationships is, fundamentally, more important than gamesmanship type politics. Help him do it.