Update: Red Ripple May Cost Dems the House, but Will Newbies Vote With the Crazies?

Though it is not yet certain that Republicans will flip the House of Representatives, it is probable that the tepid “red ripple” will cost Nancy Pelosi her speakership.

Heavily gerrymandered districts in Florida, personally sharpied by the Mussolini wannabe Ron DeSantis, partially contributed to the weak wave but what really hurt was the defection of a district in blue trending Virginia and losses in Hudson Valley and Suburban New York:

MSN

“The national fight for control of the U.S. House of Representatives will be partly decided Tuesday on a battleground that seemed unlikely a year ago: New York City’s suburbs.

One of the nation’s bluest states, New York has become an unexpected opportunity for Republicans due to voter dissatisfaction and a more favorable political map.

Many of the most closely watched congressional contests remained too close to call early Wednesday morning, including the re-election race of U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney. The five-term Democrat, who was supposed to be leading his party’s attempt to hold on to Congress, is fighting for survival in a district in the Hudson Valley.

Maloney, the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, faces Republican state Assemblyman Mike Lawler, who ran a spirited campaign focusing on the high cost of gasoline and other pocketbook issues.”

Mike Lawler is a conservative Republican, to be sure, who was not above exploiting inflation and other “pocketbook” issues which have perhaps hit the New York City suburbs and exurbs as hard as they have any other region of the nation.

He also swung hard on the crime issue, excoriating New York City’s experiment with cashless bail as his main punching bag.

But will Lawler, and the three or four other New York Republicans goofy-footing the red ripple into Congress, go along with the MAGA crazies led by Marjorie Taylor Greene as they try to lead the New House into their Magical Misery Tour of default on the National debt, impeachment and a National abortion ban?

That seems to me unlikely.

Lawler supports what passes in Republican circles as “sensible gun control”, states unequivocally the Joe Biden was elected President, will not support a National abortion ban (though he does hew to the tired Republican charge that Democrats advocate for “abortions up until birth” while undoubted knowing that such procedures are only performed when the fetus is unviable or already dead and the mother’s life is in danger).

So the question is – will these new representatives, at least those hailing from purple or light blue districts, cast their lot with the MTGs of the Republican caucus?

I think not, if they wish to hold on to their seats, they had best not show their asses to the voters back home.

Question two will be if Speaker McCarthy will have the power to protect those moderates in his care and to whom he owes his Speakership?

Likely not they are probably on their own.

There is still the slight possibility that late counts and results from California and Washington state can stave off the red ripple, so maybe McCarthy will be spared a test of his questionable ability to lead his caucus of cats.

We will see.

As we wait for results, enjoy this clip of Newt Gingrich lamenting the demise of his much wished for Red Wave:

And try not to hurt your face smirking…

Newt Gingrich is wrong about literally everything, why is he still on TV? https://t.co/IXfvMfvwkV

— Jennifer Hayden (@Scout_Finch) November 9, 2022

Here’s some hopeful news:

Democrats can still hold the House. And we could win the Lauren Boebert seat CO3. https://t.co/Njefu7Xvw0

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) November 9, 2022