Kevin McCarthy Should’ve Seen This Coming

In less than one day, the House of Representatives swiftly took two votes, and Speaker Kevin McCarthy was out the door. How could this historic vote take so little time? Well, it speaks volumes that McCarthy didn’t have many friends.

McCarthy should not be surprised by this outcome. All it takes is a look back to see when this mess began. Look at what happened in the days when McCarthy was barely voted in as House Speaker.

It took 15 votes and four days for the House to find a Speaker finally. It was the longest the chamber had gone without a leader. After many concessions to gain support, McCarthy finally got his way, yet the process was a complete embarrassment.

Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California (Photo by Popsync)

Back then, it was clear that these Republicans were not going to get along, and McCarthy was not a very strong leader. What made this a circus was Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida. He nominated former President Donald Trump on the seventh vote. 

On the 15th vote, six GOP members voted “present” on the final ballot, and McCarthy just got by with 216 of 428 possible votes. This was a prelude to what to expect from the conservative Republicans and the far-right radicals.

What Was the End of McCarthy?

McCarthy was so clueless in January that he had already moved into the Speaker’s office before these rounds of voting even took place. McCarthy found himself accountable to many people who helped him win. But he made enough enemies along the way, and he was unable to fulfill the promises made at the beginning of the year, 

The final straw came as this country’s government was teetering on the brink of shutting down. Again, McCarthy had to make deals and concessions with Congressional Democrats to reach an agreement. Gaetz, who made it clear that he was no fan of McCarthy, began to oust McCarthy, and McCarthy’s days were quickly numbered.

Republicans Have Made a Big Mess

So where do the House Republicans go from here? They need to vote for a new House Speaker, you would think. However, while the Republicans took very little time to unload McCarthy, finding a replacement could take some time. And let’s not forget that House Democrats could help block potential candidates.

This entire mess illustrates how many House Republicans do not deserve to be there. Everything from Rep. Lauren Boebert getting groped (to her approval) in a movie theater to someone lying their way into office has been a sad episode of democracy for our country.

And now the search for a new direction begins. I’m unsure about you, but I don’t see a clear process here. Expect bickering and barbs being tossed about as House Republicans will begin eating their own. There is no clear choice for House Speaker. Even those hard-liners admit they don’t know what to do moving forward.

It’s time for voters to take a stand and say enough is enough. This circus from hard-line GOP members must end, and sound policy must occur. This is an embarrassing period for the House and our government, and I fear we will see more of the same.

Bring in the clowns.