The Democrats Need To Capitalize On The GOP Speakership Freak Show Right Now. Here’s How

You know, it’s easy to make fun of the Klown Kar circus that is the House GOP, especially when you’re a progressive blogger like me, who can maybe even turn a buck off of the stupidity. But as much fun as it is, and as easy it is to see Matt Gaetz and Jim Jordan with painted white faces, curly orange wigs, red bulb noses, and 3’x1′ floppy shoes, there’s something serious going on here. And the Democrats can use it.

Right now, this debacle is if not the lead story, then certainly the 2nd top story on every cable and local newscast after the Israeli-Hamas war. And no matter what video they show, it all looks like the scene in Nightmare On Elm Street in the asylum, where all of the maniacs are bouncing off of each other in the common room.

But as this unfolds uselessly, Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan desperately require support to fight off potential national threats. And we’re now right about three weeks before the US government shuts down, bringing untold and unnecessary pain and suffering to millions of Americans. And apparently Gym Bag Jordan is ready to keep holding useless votes, and losing more support, until somebody finally hits him with a Taser, drags hi from the House floor, and puts everybody out of his misery.

But guess what? The 2024 general election is less than 13 months out, and with Labor Day over with, the kids back to school, and the adults back to work, people are finally starting to tune in again, especially with the 2024 GOP Presidential primaries hard charging down on us. The GOP would have been far better served to pull this lame sh*t back in August, when everybody was on vacation.

And The Boobsy Twins, Gaetz and Jordan have just given the Democrats the keys to a gold plated Rolls-Royce, with diamond studded hubcaps. And ever since the original GOP Speakership farce in January, and following every GOP House debacle since then, the Democrats have uniformly used each triumph to portray themselves as The Responsible Party, while the KinderCare crowd gets into food fights with their Gummi snacks and juice boxes. The smart House Democrats have been doing this for days now, and it’s starting to have an effect. But it’s time to drop the hammer.

Earlier tonight WA House Progressive Caucus leader Pramila Jayapal nailed it. She said something like, While the GOP House is trying repeatedly to install a known insurrectionist as Speaker, the Democrats are unified in their opposition. Right now we’re not negotiating because there’s nobody to negotiate with, since GOP leadership keeps flogging the same dead horse. Unfortunately the moderate members haven’t hit rock bottom yet, but when they do, and find solid concrete under the rocks, when they finally pick up the phone, our Minority Leader will be ready to pick it up and negotiate to get the House running again.

Now, dat’s what I’m talking about! As long as this goes on, every time a Democratic House member finds him or her self in front of a camera, they need to repeat that mantra, whether it’s CNN, MSNBC, ABC News, CBS News, or a local affiliate at home. With their current rampant dysfunction, the GOP is giving the Democrats carte blanche to unilaterally frame the argument to the voters while they’re busy pissing all over each other. Take my word for it, a party can’t buy this kind of free advertising.

And the egomaniacs Jordan and Gaetz are literally writing the Democrat’s House oppo attack ads for them. There are 12 GOP House incumbents that are in districts that Biden won in 2020. And tomorrow, He groped me, coach! is going to force them to cast a 3rd vote for him as Speaker. The same thing goes for dozens of other vulnerable GOP House incumbents in swing districts. And that’s why I predict that more of them will abandon Jordan with each passing ballot. Sooner or later, survival trumps fear. And if the threats roll in, and the members start announcing their retirements in 2024, so much the better for the Democrats.

And the best part is, this is literally the gift that keeps on giving. Because the dumbass GOP waited. too. long. This is going to drag on a minimum of another 10-14 days. And believe me, when the networks start sending out disaster alerts for an impending government shutdown some 10 days before Thanksgiving, people are going to remember that sh*t, no matter what happens afterwards.

And in the primaries, while they’re busy running against each other, every Democratic candidate should spend a few minutes pissing in the GOP incumbent’s punchbowl by pointing out his repeated votes to make an anti abortion, anti Medicare, anti Social Security, anti Ukraine aid insurrectionist as the Speaker of the House. And whomever wins, they’re already primed and ready to hit the ground running with the message, and then everybody knows. and everybody remembers. 

And what do you think the chances are that come November, when everybody is white hot pissed at MAGA incumbent House members, they’ll decide to vote Democratic for the House, but flip back and vote GOP for the MAGAt in Chief? I have written previously about the power of reverse coattails, where an uber popular down ballot candidate can inflate turnout, and send votes upstream, like a salmon spawning to a shaky upper tier candidate. Traitor Tot will certainly do his part to ensure his own demise, but the larger the margin of slaughter, the sooner we can rid US politics of the MAGA movement.