It’s time to Break It Down!

For those who’ve been following along at home (as well as those who haven’t), to no one’s surprise, presumed leading candidate number 2 lost vote number 1. In the worst kept of secrets, Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan failed in the first vote in his attempt to become Speaker of the People’s House. By the way, the People’s House, which, admittedly, pols on both sides often use to refer to the institution, is such a pretentious word conglomeration. Makes it sound like an adjunct of some Chinese governmental entity, a constituent institution of The People’s Republic, perhaps. But seriously, I digress.

Going into Tuesday’s vote, talking heads from a variety of media outlets breathlessly expounded on whether Mr. Jordan could or would cobble together the necessary coalition to enable him to do what Steve Scalise, aka leading candidate number 1, couldn’t do…wrap up the quest to become the nation’s 56^th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, commonly referred to as “the House.” Conventional wisdom was it wouldn’t happen. The GOP likes to say, that’s because Republicans are independent, and as such, are free to make up their own minds, unlike those “spineless”/mindless Democrats, who kowtowed to Nancy Pelosi, whenever they were given half a chance. At least that’s what the Party, which by all appearances, worships at the feet of Trump, has to say about the matter.

Hear this. When more than a minority of Republicans condemn Donald Trump for his exceedingly repetitive nihilistic behavior, I’ll pay attention to the GOP’s constant babbling about the Democrats’ path to ruin a great nation.

As for Jordan, and his stumble out of the gate, some (overly generous) critics say it’s a reflection of Republican’s inability to govern. I do not believe that’s the case. Rather, it appears to me, they don’t want to govern. In fact, it’s as though they’d prefer to tear down the whole thing (governmental structure). Increasingly, their view, judging by their actions is, if they cannot control every aspect of every element of the process (of governing), they would just as soon, tear it all down. Moreover, in fact, they are trying, with increasing degrees of regularity…and success, to do just that. See January 6, 2021, the 15 votes to elect Kevin McCarthy Speaker in January 2023, versus the one vote to depose him in October 2023, the near-miss government shutdown on September 30, and the continuing on-going threat once again, to push the country over that cliff. They don’t care, and they don’t give a flying figuring, if you know it. The shameless hubris of it all!

No one knows whether Jordan will eventually prevail. That Donald Trump supports him suggests, in the current iteration of the Republican Party, he certainly has a shot. If he succeeds, will it happen in less than the 15 votes required by McCarthy?

Let’s hope so. Every day without a decision propels us closer toward that proverbial shutdown. But then again, electing JJ may simply exacerbate the trend line leading to a shutdown, The Far-Right wing, which includes Jordan’s most avid advocates, seems to be hankering for that brand of chaos. I think the operative phraseology is “damned if we do, damned if we don’t.” Oh well, welcome to “Jordan Chronicles: The Saga Continues!”

I’m done; holla back!

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Jordan Chronicles: The Saga Continues