Kevin McCarthy's run as Speaker is finished. Is Matt Gaetz a villain or a hero? By Liz Peek

[mystery-ak]

Kevin McCarthy's run as Speaker is finished. Is Matt Gaetz a villain or a hero?
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz got what he wanted. He succeeded in ousting House Speaker Kevin McCarthy
Liz Peek By Liz Peek Fox News
Published October 4, 2023 5:00am EDT

Is Matt Gaetz a hero or a villain?

The camera-loving Republican from Florida who threatened to shut down the government and who masterminded the ousting of Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday has made more than a few enemies in Congress.

He doesn’t care; he represents a district in Florida that hasn’t gone Democrat in decades and that went for former President Trump in 2020 by 68% to 29%. That means that in 2018, for instance, election gurus gave him 99% odds of being reelected, even though his approval rating was a dismal 20% -- worse than Joe Biden.   

Consequently, Gaetz has little sympathy for centrist colleagues in toss-up districts who must win over independent voters who are likely appalled by the chaos in the GOP caucus. He apparently has little commitment to his party or to maintaining the Republican majority in the House. To those of us who view Joe Biden’s agenda as dangerous for our country, Gaetz’ unseating of Speaker McCarthy, which will stoke the Democrat narrative that the GOP is incapable of governing and give more power to Hakeem Jeffries and his colleagues, is reckless and selfish. It is said his attention-getting antics are fed by his desire to be a TV host; if the shoe fits…

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https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/kevin-mccarthys-speaker-finished-matt-gaetz-villain-hero

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

My first thought is prima donna. Basically made a spectacle of himself to seal up base support.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

He doesn’t care; he represents a district in Florida that hasn’t gone Democrat in decades and that went for former President Trump in 2020 by 68% to 29%. That means that in 2018, for instance, election gurus gave him 99% odds of being reelected, even though his approval rating was a dismal 20% -- worse than Joe Biden.   

Consequently, Gaetz has little sympathy for centrist colleagues in toss-up districts who must win over independent voters who are likely appalled by the chaos in the GOP caucus. He apparently has little commitment to his party or to maintaining the Republican majority in the House.

That's the exact problem.

With a four vote margin in the House, you cannot afford to ignore the considerations of those couple of dozen centrists from swing districts.  You can't bully them because they're more worried about their voters than leadership.  The rules pushed through by the Freedom Caucus actually barred the Speaker from supporting challenges to incumbents, so you can't threaten to "primary them".  And even if you did, many of them are in districts that would never elect a hardline conservative anyway.

So if you just ignore them, you won't be able to pass anything.

[Cyber Liberty]

That's the exact problem.

With a four vote margin in the House, you cannot afford to ignore the considerations of those couple of dozen centrists from swing districts.  You can't bully them because they're more worried about their voters than leadership.  The rules pushed through by the Freedom Caucus actually barred the Speaker from supporting challenges to incumbents, so you can't threaten to "primary them".  And even if you did, many of them are in districts that would never elect a hardline conservative anyway.

So if you just ignore them, you won't be able to pass anything.

Is it better, then, to ignore us and pass abhorrent Democrat bills?  That situation described the House under McCarthy (as I predicted in January).

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Is it better, then, to ignore us and pass abhorrent Democrat bills?  That situation described the House under McCarthy (as I predicted in January).

They didn't.

When the Democratic Senate continuing resolution was passed, moderate Republicans didn't vote for it.  Instead, they supported the bill drafted by the Policy Chair of the Freedom Caucus that called for an 8% reduction in spending and border security.

It was the hardliners who refused to vote for it, and sank it.  Because they figured no cuts at all were better than only 8% cuts plus border security.  Go figure.  And by the way, not a single House Democrat voted for that bill either.  So the idea that the moderate Republicans are  no different than Democrats is just wrong.  They're not conservatives, but they're not Democrats either.

It was only after the hardliners killed Chip Roy's bill that the rest of the GOP caucus supported a more or less clean continuing resolution to avoid a shutdown.  And that's because it was the only bill the House passed that could.

[Kamaji]

They didn't.

When the Democratic Senate continuing resolution was passed, moderate Republicans didn't vote for it.  Instead, they supported the bill drafted by the Policy Chair of the Freedom Caucus that called for an 8% reduction in spending and border security.

It was the hardliners who refused to vote for it, and sank it.  Because they figured no cuts at all were better than only 8% plus border security.

It was only after the hardliners killed Chip Roy's bill that the rest of the GOP caucus supported a more or less clean continuing resolution to avoid a shutdown.  And that's because it was the only bill the House passed that could.

[Cyber Liberty]

McCarthy gave Pelosi everything she wanted, including the "secret Speaker's office."

Watching him cave for 9 months and breaking promises along the way has been a frustrating experience. 

He funded the 84,000 armed IRS agents, he promised he wouldn't.  He refused to release all the J6 videos, he promised he would.  The breaking point was when it was discovered he was going to fun Ukraine after making a deal he wouldn't.  There are other broken promises, I named but a few.

I demand a Speaker who keeps his promises.  Sorry, not sorry.

[catfish1957]

Intent= Good
Timing= Sucked

[Sighlass]

I think Gaetz timed it when he could get it passed, windows of opportunity come and go, and sometimes you have to strike while the poker is hot. It is easy to say "At a Better Time", but with the ebb and flow of things, sometimes you act when the door is cracked enough to get your foot in. It was almost like McCarthy was daring him to do it because he felt like he was invincible.

[Cyber Liberty]

I think Gaetz timed it when he could get it passed, windows of opportunity come and go, and sometimes you have to strike while the poker is hot. It is easy to say "At a Better Time", but with the ebb and flow of things, sometimes you act when the door is cracked enough to get your foot in. It was almost like McCarthy was daring him to do it because he felt like he was invincible.

Before the votes, McCarthy tweeted, "Bring it!"

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Before the votes, McCarthy tweeted, "Bring it!"

It has to be brought to a head.  The Speaker could not be held hostage indefinitely from demands and threats coming from less than 4% of the caucus.  Not fair to rest of them.

Presumably, if the Republicans manage to elect a Speaker, it will be one who doesn't owe anything to anyone in particular.   I can't fathom a new Speaker wanting to put themselves at the mercy of that same crew.

If the same group of hardliners insist that any new Speaker make the same promises, them maybe they just don't elect one.

[ScottinVA]

Gaetz is a hero to himself, and that’s all that matters… to him.

For the rest of the GOP, that fiasco simply shows the Repubs are more interested in forming circular firing squads than governing.  Truly pathetic.

[bigheadfred]

Before the votes, McCarthy tweeted, "Bring it!"

Seems to me McCarthy had some confidence the Dems were going to stay out of it and got suckered.

[Cyber Liberty]

Seems to me McCarthy had some confidence the Dems were going to stay out of it and got suckered.

The most believable thing I've heard all day....

[Kamaji]

Seems to me McCarthy had some confidence the Dems were going to stay out of it and got suckered.

Most likely.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

The most believable thing I've heard all day....

Yeah, he either was confident of that,or at least hoped t would happen.

[Fishrrman]

I'm all for what's happening.

It's time to start playing hardball, and for Representatives to become as "ideological" on the right as the DCommunists naturally fall over towards the left.

Kick McCarthy out?
GREAT idea.

Put a firebrand in there. If the rest of the namby-pamby and all-but-useless Pubbies can't follow (and show no inclination to fight), then let them disappear from their offices in 2024.

And re the Major's comment above about having only a "small margin" for a majority...
... How do you think the DCommunists would behave if THEY had but a majority of only one or two votes?

[Sighlass]

I'm all for what's happening.

It's time to start playing hardball, and for Representatives to become as "ideological" on the right as the DCommunists naturally fall over towards the left.

Kick McCarthy out?
GREAT idea.

Put a firebrand in there. If the rest of the namby-pamby and all-but-useless Pubbies can't follow (and show no inclination to fight), then let them disappear from their offices in 2024.

And re the Major's comment above about having only a "small margin" for a majority...
... How do you think the DCommunists would behave if THEY had but a majority of only one or two votes?

 

[Sighlass]

Seems to me McCarthy had some confidence the Dems were going to stay out of it and got suckered.

Guess he figured the libs wanted him to stay with the behind the curtain deals with them? Whatever drove the smugness of invincibility, the smack was enough to publicly say he wanted no more of it.

[libertybele]

Seems to me McCarthy had some confidence the Dems were going to stay out of it and got suckered.

Yeppers and he got what he rightfully deserved.

[berdie]

Guess he figured the libs wanted him to stay with the behind the curtain deals with them? Whatever drove the smugness of invincibility, the smack was enough to publicly say he wanted no more of it.

Since politics are largely hidden from public view...who knows? I still think there was a lot of animosity
between Gaetz and McCarthy. Egos came into play. Gaetz threw a challenge...McC said meet me at the flag pole after school. McC lost the fight.

I'm aggravated with all of it. There are no true statesmen.

[deb]

Seems to me McCarthy had some confidence the Dems were going to stay out of it and got suckered.

Yep. When you make a deal with the devil, don’t be surprised when he betrays you. And laughs.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

It's time to start playing hardball, and for Representatives to become as "ideological" on the right as the DCommunists naturally fall over towards the left.

And how does this move the rest of the caucus to the right?

If the rest of the namby-pamby and all-but-useless Pubbies can't follow (and show no inclination to fight), then let them disappear from their offices in 2024.

And be replaced by Democrats?  That's not going to move Congress to the right.  Nor are a lot of those districts ever going to elect a conservative.

And re the Major's comment above about having only a "small margin" for a majority...
... How do you think the DCommunists would behave if THEY had but a majority of only one or two votes?

They'd all probably vote in lockstep because they're more strategic than we are.  But, as those who sank Roy's bill showed, Republican representatives don't do that.

So exactly how to you plan to change that?

[roamer_1]

I demand a Speaker who keeps his promises.  Sorry, not sorry.

I'm right there with you 

[Cyber Liberty]

I'm right there with you 

As usual!