Kurt Schlichter: The Conservatives’ Game of Chicken Pays Off, We Hope

The resolution of the Speaker fight was easy to see after a week of hindsight. The Speaker, for a variety of reasons, needed to be Kevin McCarthy, and he needed to agree to rules and other arrangements that ensured that the house would no longer be the ironfisted, establishment-friendly Speaktatorship of Boehner, Ryan, and Pelosi. McCarthy had the ability to compromise. Rebels also had to accept a compromise. It did. The new rules were adopted. The optimist in me, the Republicans might be off to a good start.

Or the GOP might blow it. Wesley Snipes famously stated it in “Passenger 57,” “Always bet on Republicans to screw up.”

Or black. Whatever.

In any event, I’m just a little shocked that they were able to complete the deal in five days. The process could have been extended and resulted in some pinko being installed by Dems or collaborators. I’m happy about the outcome. I do not trust McCarthy – or anyone else who would want that miserable job (though Paul Ryan claimed not to want it and it is hard to imagine someone else sucking worse than him) – and therefore I want McCarthy neutered by the conservatives. We can now look forward to a future in which the libs are ours and not theirs.

Let’s assign kudos and criticism.

This was all McCarthy’s fault – but you will be confused further on as I critique the Rebels so let me explain the legal concept of joint and several liability. The law states that in certain cases, a number of people can be equally responsible for the negative outcomes (if any) of the fight’s short public phase. 

McCarthy wanted the job and he had to work hard for it. He got it eventually and won. He was the only one who really ever could win enough votes – no one else who could have possibly won and not turned our conservative stomachs would have taken it. It’s a terrible job. You must be like one of those strangeos who will sacrifice beer and girls to become president of the student body. McCarthy is. This was his dream. If necessary, I was content to let it die. He wanted to be the person who calls donors for a few dollars every day, and he was willing to do that. He is unquestionably good at it. He wanted it. He deserves more power. He actually has less power.

Anyway, as January 3rd approached, McCarthy had not yet wrapped up the vote. Although there were only two dozen Rebels in the race, there were plenty. While he increased the GOP House caucus in 2020 and 2022 (meeting the minimal threshold for his leadership position of having won elections, something RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel has failed to do in five election – learn how to retire her at www.HireHarmeet.comMcCarthy didn’t grow his caucus to the point where he could dictate his accession terms. That’s on him. Coffee is for closes. You don’t have to bow before Matt Gaetz.

Next time you will win more seats. In any case, McCarthy eventually caved, and that’s good. I wanted him to be emasculated, because if he wasn’t gelded we would see more Omnibuses and secret deals, and never return to regular order.

This dispute was not resolved in November, which he also failed to do. Although this schism was real and constant, it appeared that McCarthy was denialist and believed the Rebels would surrender when they were actually required to vote. If McCarthy wanted to avoid a floor fight – because it was not clear the Rebels did – he needed to figure out how to avoid it. Even if that meant giving up sooner, it was fine. McCarthy was determined to get the job, even though he had to endure some public sausage-making before he got it.

McCarthy’s allies were not always helpful. Mike Rogers could have stayed in control and not made the photo of the man who grabbed him. People also needed to not put fuel on the fire. Dan Crenshaw is a great SEAL. However, his SEAL skills don’t always translate well into what he needs do in Congress. Calling terrorists” terrorists” and shooting them – good. Calling other Republicans “terrorists” on the shows – not good. His emotions became involved and spun up their emotions. Take it from somebody who negotiates for a living – ticking people off is a tool, but not your only one and it is frankly rarely the one to use when trying to get a deal. Crenshaw is already on an offensive side of conservatives. He has a safe district but Senate? Many Lone Star conservatives would rather have John Cornyn than him, and that tube-supported gun control. Chill, Dan.

The Rebels. I liked some of them, and I supported their demands. To some degree, it was their acting ability that was the problem. Negotiation is about acting. You strike a pose and maybe you will move, but maybe you won’t. It was difficult to discern with some Rebels. The Rebels had to respond with no, nope and never. But the question was not whether this was a genuine attempt to win concessions. Some Rebels made it seem personal, and it was hard to see how any concessions could succeed. People believed they would not vote for McCarthy or against him. This was part of the panic. They were too good at it. They did not succeed with their smugness. It turned what was supposed to be a debate into a chaotic Calvinball. 

The Rebels ought to have published a list of requirements to get McCarthy elected. They should also have signed it in writing. There was no doubt that they were trying to grab personal goodies from the Speaker in waiting. They had to ensure that the regime media couldn’t turn a substantive rules discussion into a personal dispute, or at minimum minimize that predictable narrative. Without an unambiguous list of asks, they were expected to just trust them. I don’t trust anybody. To the extent they looked like they were out for attention, that’s on them.

The Rebels were a diverse group. There was a mix between showboating, smirking and seriousness. Chip Roy is a sensible and intelligent legislator who got most of the Rebels to agree to take part. “Yes” if McCarthy met his demands. McCarthy fulfilled his demands. Roy made it all possible. We owe Roy.

Bob Good has been a positive influence on me. It is clear that he doesn’t like McCarthy personally. He was able to compromise and come around for the benefit of the caucus. Scott Perry is an Army War College grad and a former general. I assumed the worst. But he changed his mind when he received what he needed. 

Matt Rosendale seemed cranky and a jerk when he was doing the following: “Kevin- psyche!” You can do everything in one roll call. It’s not cool and it’s not funny. Without him, the Montana Senate primary will be just as lively.

Lauren Boebert is one person that deserves to be respected. She’s a serious legislator who cares not just about the big stuff that gets TV hits but the minutiae that matters to getting conservative policies enacted. Although she didn’t win and her district was not safe, she took on a lot of personal risk. Even though she was not a McCarthy fan, she accepted her deal.

Finally, let’s talk about Matt Gaetz. First, Matt Gaetz’s shameful treatment at the FBI and DOJ was a huge disgrace. It was completely in line with their complete abdication of trust and credibility. He was a remarkable example of poise and humor, and no one deserves what he went through. Let’s talk about the real stuff. Many people find him somewhat creepy. I only care about politicians to the extent that they are useful. His vibe doesn’t matter to me. He does give people the shivers, and that is what makes him a negative for our brand. This did not help.

This fight was necessary. We can’t have another business as usual GOP House. The establishment was not able to win large enough without the conservatives and the conservatives paid for it. It wasn’t clear that they would ever reach this point. “Yes,” But they did. Did the fight – which was always going to be played by the regime media as chaos – have to happen this way? McCarthy could have seen it months ago. He didn’t, and the Rebels weren’t going to back down. Was it too much? It seemed like it was heading that direction, and I wasn’t sure if it would end before Hakeem Jeffries got involved and sold us on the idea of electing some. “compromise unity” GOP Speaker, who would basically be Hakeem Jeffreys in a Republican Skinsuit. The stupidity of Republican Party is hard to miss.

This is the whole “THE GOP CANNOT EVEN ELECT A SPEAKER” Things will eventually fade away, but they’ll be followed by. “THE GOP IS UNABLE TO GOVERN” It is likely that conservatives will be able to show off their newfound muscle. There will be more fights. While we shouldn’t engage in stupid ones, some fights may be necessary.

This one was it? It was, although it wasn’t exactly how it ended, but we did get the right Speaker and the correct rules. It was something I wasn’t sure we would be able to do. So, it’s a good beginning. I believe.

Follow Kurt via Twitter @KurtSchlichter. Get InfernoThe seventh book in the Kelly Turnbull series, titled. People’s Republic A series of conservative action novels that are set in America after a hypothetical national divorce. We’ll Be Back: The Fall and Rise of America.

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