USCE Winter 2023: change thread titles constantly, almost on a daily basis

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > USCE Winter 2023: change thread titles constantly, almost on a daily basis

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Piell: Sep 3, 2006; Grey Worm's Ken doll-like groin throbbed with the anticipatory pleasure that only a slightly warm and moist piece of lemoncake could offer; Young Orc

Young Freud posted:

Why does the Speaker have to be 218? Why can't it be just simple majority? Seems like the party with the most cohesion and unity should be the ones to run things.

It is simple majority, there are 434 house members right now so 218 is a majority

# ? Jan 3, 2023 03:52

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# ? May 4, 2024 08:42

BIG FLUFFY DOG: Feb 16, 2011; On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog.

Young Freud posted:

Why does the Speaker have to be 218? Why can't it be just simple ~~majority~~ plurality? Seems like the party with the most cohesion and unity should be the ones to run things.

\/\/\/ Plurality, thanks.

It can. And it has happened in the past . But you have to have 218 people vote to change the rules to let it happen. The house isn�t allowed to vote on anything else until they elect the speaker so usually when people get tired and bored that starts to be talked about as an option.

# ? Jan 3, 2023 04:10

Absurd Alhazred: Mar 27, 2010; by Athanatos

BIG FLUFFY DOG posted:

It can. And it has happened in the past . But you have to have 218 people vote to change the rules to let it happen. The house isn�t allowed to vote on anything else until they elect the speaker so usually when people get tired and bored that starts to be talked about as an option.

Problem is, the same people who are blocking McCarthy would love nothing more than to spend the next two years grandstanding instead of doing any work.

# ? Jan 3, 2023 04:11

nine-gear crow: Aug 10, 2013

Angry_Ed posted:

Not sure if the Republicans are ready for 2 years minimum of "GOP-led House has no balls"-based headlines.

In less than a decade the US could go from having a Speaker of the House who everyone used to call "Boner" to one that literally has no dick :haw:

# ? Jan 3, 2023 04:20

BIG FLUFFY DOG: Feb 16, 2011; On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog.

Absurd Alhazred posted:

Problem is, the same people who are blocking McCarthy would love nothing more than to spend the next two years grandstanding instead of doing any work.

Golden, Peltola & Cuellar could be yes on a plurality vote and honestly increase their chances of getting re-elected (not the speaker vote.) Flip two of the guys holding him up or two more centrists and it�ll be whichever person gets the most votes (which comically leads to Jefferries being elected speaker)

# ? Jan 3, 2023 04:21

reignonyourparade: Nov 15, 2012

Young Freud posted:

Why does the Speaker have to be 218? Why can't it be just simple ~~majority~~ plurality? Seems like the party with the most cohesion and unity should be the ones to run things.

\/\/\/ Plurality, thanks.

If you don't have a majority you don't have any defense against a vote of no confidence. Like... this isn't even some unusual americanism i'm pretty sure MOST countries have their lower house leadership needing a true simple majority. Sure as noted above you can have people vote to change the rules but that still at least ends up with a simple majority FOR THAT which establishes a majority of people who, if not able to directly agree on the speaker, can at least agree that they want there to be A speaker and probably aren't going to have an endless cycle of no confidence votes -> speaker with only plurality support -> no confidence vote.

# ? Jan 3, 2023 04:24

BIG FLUFFY DOG: Feb 16, 2011; On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog.

reignonyourparade posted:

If you don't have a majority you don't have any defense against a vote of no confidence. Like... this isn't even some unusual americanism i'm pretty sure MOST countries have their lower house leadership needing a true simple majority. Sure as noted above you can have people vote to change the rules but that still at least ends up with a simple majority FOR THAT which establishes a majority of people who, if not able to directly agree on the speaker, can at least agree that they want there to be A speaker and probably aren't going to have an endless cycle of no confidence votes -> speaker with only plurality support -> no confidence vote.

It�s really cool to have this happen in a country with no system for early elections

# ? Jan 3, 2023 04:33

-Blackadder-: Jan 2, 2007; Game....Blouses.

Some good background here. Every single one of his enemies are taking their shots.

The Dems rolling up with the popcorn at the end is perfect.

https://twitter.com/CNNPolitics/status/1609881706420387844

quote:

Finding consensus among the �Five Families�

McCarthy spent the week in between Christmas and New Year�s in deal-making mode, working the phones with critics and supporters alike to find consensus on rules changes designed to win over holdouts.

He can only afford to lose four votes on the House floor, and so far, at least five Republicans have vowed to oppose him, with nearly a dozen other GOP lawmakers publicly saying they�re still not there yet.

McCarthy�s Friday afternoon call was with the so-called �Five Families,� who represent the various ideological groups in the House GOP. The California Republican outlined some of the demands from the right he was willing to give in to, such as establishing a broad investigative panel to centralize probes into the Biden administration.

And as first reported by CNN, McCarthy told lawmakers he would support a threshold as low as five Republicans to trigger a vote on deposing the speaker, known as the �motion to vacate� the speaker�s chair � a major concession for him and one that moderates worry will be used as a constant cudgel over his head.

�I have cautioned (McCarthy), at least twice, to not accept a Pyrrhic victory,� said one moderate GOP lawmaker who is backing him. �He cannot give away what he needs to actually effectively govern the House.�

Lawmakers worked over the weekend to finalize the rules package. Ultimately, McCarthy informed Republicans on the conference-wide call Sunday evening that he agreed to the five-person threshold on the motion to vacate � which he billed as a �compromise.�

McCarthy released the final rules package later that evening and also put out a �Dear Colleague� letter making one last pitch for the job, which included additional promises about how he�d govern as speaker � including ensuring that the GOP�s ideological groups are better represented on committees.

But despite getting asked repeatedly, McCarthy could not say on the call whether it would be enough to clinch the speaker�s gavel. He has tried unsuccessfully � including during a meeting in his office with the �Five Families� before the holidays � to seek commitments from his detractors that if he caved on the motion to vacate, it would deliver him the votes he needs for speaker.

Moderates on Sunday�s call expressed their frustration and said they would only swallow the concession if it would get McCarthy the votes. They worry some of those hardliners are not negotiating in good faith and fear they won�t come through in the end � a sentiment that was only reinforced during Sunday�s call.

Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, one of the five �hard no� votes, said on the call he would not be backing McCarthy, despite all the demands that he has given in to. And not long after, the separate group of nine hardliners put out a letter calling some of McCarthy�s concessions insufficient, though they did say progress is being made.

That group is still pushing for a single member to be able to call for a vote toppling the speaker, which is what it used to be before Speaker Nancy Pelosi changed the rules, and they also want a commitment that leadership won�t play in primaries.

�Thus far, there continue to be missing specific commitments with respect to virtually every component of our entreaties, and thus, no means to measure whether promises are kept or broken,� the letter, obtained by CNN, states.

McCarthy has made public promises about how he would rule over the House, such as threatening to launch an impeachment inquiry into Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and vowing to not take up bills from any GOP senators who backed the massive year-end spending package � both top priorities of the right.

In another strategic move, McCarthy postponed races for any contested committee chairs until after the speaker vote. He said it was to allow freshman members to have input in the process, but other members believe it was a way to insulate himself from potential criticism from members who end up losing their races.

An outside pressure campaign has also been building to boost McCarthy.

An aide to Republican Rep. Ralph Norman said the South Carolinian�s district offices have been inundated with calls from constituents who have received robocalls and �been read a script� by someone warning what could happen if McCarthy isn�t elected speaker because of conservatives like Norman. Those campaigns, Norman�s aide told CNN, have done nothing to influence the congressman�s position, but it does reveal the lengths some McCarthy backers have gone to exert maximum pressure on detractors.

quote:

McCarthy gets backup, while conservatives sharpen their knives

McCarthy has gotten some key backup from Trump, who publicly endorsed his speaker bid and encouraged others to support McCarthy. And his congressional allies have banded together in effort to act as a counterweight to the so-called Never Kevin movement, with various groups of lawmakers blasting out statements and letters vowing to vote for him no matter how many ballots it takes.

McCarthy supporters have also contemplated using hardball tactics, including trying to kick critics off their committees if they don�t fall in line and threatening to team up with Democrats to elect a more moderate speaker. At one point, the group even started wearing �O.K.� buttons around the Capitol, which stands for �Only Kevin� � a joking nod to McCarthy�s opposition.

In phone calls and text messages during the holidays, McCarthy�s defenders vowed to him and each other they wouldn�t let a handful of members control their conference.

�People want to get to work and this has just been holding us up,� Rep. David Joyce of Ohio, a leader of the Republican Governance Group, told CNN, of the protracted speaker�s fight. �I have people who say they don�t care if it is 500 times, they are voting for Kevin. There is no one else.�

McCarthy�s opposition, however, has also been working in tandem � and they are far more practiced in playing hardball, though the Freedom Caucus has been openly divided over McCarthy.

Immediately after the midterm elections, a group of hardliners began discussing putting up a protest challenger to McCarthy during the internal House GOP leadership elections in hopes of forcing him to the negotiating table. They settled on GOP Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona.

Following that secret ballot vote, where McCarthy won 188-31, a bloc of five �hard no� votes strategically began to trickle out their public statements of opposition. And after negotiations earlier last month dragged on, an additional group formalized their demands to McCarthy in a letter � further upping pressure on the Republican leader to cut a deal.

quote:

No clear �Plan B� if McCarthy�s stumbles

If McCarthy can�t clinch the majority of those present and voting for a candidate on the first ballot, the House will keep voting until someone does � something that hasn�t happened since 1923.

The committee in charge of administrative matters sent a letter last week outlining the practical implications and pitfalls of a drawn-out speaker�s fight. Without an approved House Rules package, the memo outlined that committees won�t be able to pay staff.

The same memo, which was first reported by Politico and obtained by CNN, also warned that student loan payments for committee staff wouldn�t be disbursed if a rules package isn�t adopted by mid-January.

It�s just one of the many ways a battle over the next speaker could paralyze the House and the Republican majority from operating efficiently in their opening days with some of the harshest penalties falling on rank-and-file staffers.

�It is going to slow us up. It is going to hurt the team,� Rep. Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican who represents a Biden-won district, told CNN.

Democrats, meanwhile, are relishing the prospect of a GOP meltdown on the floor. Sources say Democrats have been instructed by their leadership to show up and vote for anyone other than McCarthy on Tuesday, making the threshold he needs as high and difficult as possible. And if the speaker�s vote goes to multiple ballots, they are unlikely to help McCarthy if he tries to adjourn the proceedings to salvage his speakership bid.

The argument McCarthy supporters have posed is that there is no serious alternative, no mystical consensus candidate that has 218 votes locked up, waiting in the wings. Rep. Bob Good, a Virginia Republican who is one of the �hard no� votes against McCarthy, promised on Fox News Monday that a new speaker candidate will emerge on the second ballot, though he refused to name who that will be.

There are whispers, however, that Republicans could rally around incoming House GOP Majority Leader Steve Scalise, a popular conservative who serves as McCarthy�s top deputy, if McCarthy drops out of the race or can�t secure the votes after several ballots. And despite the resolve from McCarthy�s supporters to keep voting for him, some Republicans suspect they may eventually start to look at other options if there is no end in sight.

But Scalise has made clear he is supporting McCarthy and has no intention of challenging him.

Even with the race far from settled, boxes from McCarthy�s office were spotted by CNN being moved into the speaker�s suite last week � a standard protocol, but a sign he�s committed to seeking the job.

�It is a bizarre game of chicken where both sides have ripped the steering wheel off the dashboard and are just going pedal to the metal,� one member said of the ongoing standoff between pro- and anti-McCarthy factions.

Can't imagine the impasse lasts though.

Gaetz will definitely yuck it up with a big poo poo eating grin and the rest of the holdouts will drag McCarthy over the coals for as long as the crowd from Spartacus keeps cheering them on but after a few news cycles most will get bored/tired of kicking a dead horse, even one as kickable as McCarthy.

The two months mentioned from the other times a speaker wasn't chosen sounds like the limit of what you can expect before the worm turns and too many people start angrily asking what these House Reps are doing with all their free time on the tax payers dime.

# ? Jan 3, 2023 04:57

Rigel: Nov 11, 2016

So.... the US House of representatives convenes on January 3rd, and their 1st order of business (and only order of business forever and ever until they finally elect a speaker) is to vote for the speaker.

That should be fun.

# ? Jan 3, 2023 05:29

cr0y: Mar 24, 2005

I like that the Democrats can muck this up and make things as hard as possible simply by coming to work.

Tomorrow should be funny.

# ? Jan 3, 2023 05:47

nine-gear crow: Aug 10, 2013

cr0y posted:

I like that the Democrats can muck this up and make things as hard as possible simply by coming to work.

Tomorrow should be funny.

That is my only wish: comedy. Give me maximum comedy.

# ? Jan 3, 2023 05:58

Absurd Alhazred: Mar 27, 2010; by Athanatos

nine-gear crow posted:

That is my only wish: comedy. Give me maximum comedy.

# ? Jan 3, 2023 06:00

The Glumslinger: Sep 24, 2008; Coach Nagy, you want me to throw to WHAT side of the field?; Hair Elf

So do all of the calculations involve Santos voting for McCarthy? What happens if he resigns and then McCarthy suddenly no longer has the votes to stay in power? Could we go through this again in a few months?

# ? Jan 3, 2023 06:02

Relevant Tangent: Nov 18, 2016; Tangentially Relevant

We're getting an event that hasn't happened for a hundred years. McCarthy is going to be destroyed live on cspan and every politics junkie in the country/world gets to watch. This is the kind of humiliation that made people kill themselves rather than bear it and that was before every second of it was recorded for eternity. :yeshaha:

# ? Jan 3, 2023 06:09

Twincityhacker: Feb 18, 2011

nine-gear crow posted:

That is my only wish: comedy. Give me maximum comedy.

If we have to live though this, it might as well be *funny.*

# ? Jan 3, 2023 06:09

cr0y: Mar 24, 2005

I think he will get the votes

........eventually

# ? Jan 3, 2023 06:15

Rigel: Nov 11, 2016

The Glumslinger posted:

So do all of the calculations involve Santos voting for McCarthy? What happens if he resigns and then McCarthy suddenly no longer has the votes to stay in power? Could we go through this again in a few months?

Just as a general reminder for everyone, the Speaker of the House of Representatives in the United States is like the pope. Basic poo poo in the lower house in the US just works under the assumption that the office is filled. If there's no speaker, NOTHING happens in the lower house. The house has to have a speaker, period. If they don't have a speaker for any reason, they have to elect one, majority vote rules, voting over and over again, forever and ever until they have one.

# ? Jan 3, 2023 06:20

cr0y: Mar 24, 2005

Rigel posted:

If they don't have a speaker for any reason, they have to elect one, majority vote rules, voting over and over again, forever and ever until they have one.

Big "break room" vibes from severance

# ? Jan 3, 2023 06:22

borkencode: Nov 10, 2004

If it gets dragged out a month they could be doing the same thing over and over again on Groundhog Day.

# ? Jan 3, 2023 07:13

Rigel: Nov 11, 2016

borkencode posted:

If it gets dragged out a month they could be doing the same thing over and over again on Groundhog Day.

I really wish those assholes would just plainly and clearly let us all know how much of a clusterfuck this is going to be. If this should be TVIV'd, great but if we put up a big effortpost those assholes would probably troll us by obediently lining up behind McCarthy for at least a couple days.

# ? Jan 3, 2023 07:40

Shooting Blanks: Jun 6, 2007; Real bullets mess up how cool this thing looks.

-Blade

Rigel posted:

I really wish those assholes would just plainly and clearly let us all know how much of a clusterfuck this is going to be. If this should be TVIV'd, great but if we put up a big effortpost those assholes would probably troll us by obediently lining up behind McCarthy for at least a couple days.

Hell, maybe we need a TVIV/D&D crossover thread just for CSPAN tomorrow...

# ? Jan 3, 2023 08:01

Rigel: Nov 11, 2016

Shooting Blanks posted:

Hell, maybe we need a TVIV/D&D crossover thread just for CSPAN tomorrow...

If you (or anyone else here) are volunteering to make some kind of a grand effortpost US House Speaker TVIV vote thread for tomorrow/today that eventually just ends up being a disappointing wet fart, then go on right ahead. :justpost:

The United States political media does seem to be just all a flutter right now for what will probably end up being a stupid disappointment. And that could be amusing for us as well.

# ? Jan 3, 2023 08:24

aventari: Mar 20, 2001; I SWIFTLY PENETRATED YOUR MOMS MEAT TACO WHILE AGGRESSIVELY FONDLING THE UNDERSIDE OF YOUR DADS HAIRY BALLSACK, THEN RIPPED HIS SAUSAGE OFF AND RAMMED IT INTO YOUR MOMS TAILPIPE. I JIZZED FURIOUSLY, DEEP IN YOUR MOMS MEATY BURGER WHILE THRUSTING A ANSA MUFFLER UP MY GREASY TAILHOLE

nine-gear crow posted:

In less than a decade the US could go from having a Speaker of the House who everyone used to call "Boner" to one that literally has no dick

That already happened

Only registered members can see post attachments!

# ? Jan 3, 2023 08:50

Rigel: Nov 11, 2016

Please try to be just a little bit less weird and gooney, thanks.

# ? Jan 3, 2023 09:01

Randalor: Sep 4, 2011

How many votes would a Democrat need to be elected speaker? Because at this point, I'm half-convinced the dems could retain the Speaker of the House just because of how the Republicans are so disorganized in the house at the moment.

# ? Jan 3, 2023 12:30

cr0y: Mar 24, 2005

Randalor posted:

How many votes would a Democrat need to be elected speaker? Because at this point, I'm half-convinced the dems could retain the Speaker of the House just because of how the Republicans are so disorganized in the house at the moment.

This is not happening. Period.

# ? Jan 3, 2023 12:46

Mooseontheloose: May 13, 2003

Randalor posted:

How many votes would a Democrat need to be elected speaker? Because at this point, I'm half-convinced the dems could retain the Speaker of the House just because of how the Republicans are so disorganized in the house at the moment.

The number is 218 no matter who. There is no path for a Democrat because above all else the Republicans are disciplined to not give the Democrats anything ever.

# ? Jan 3, 2023 13:44

projecthalaxy: Dec 27, 2008; Yes hello it is I Kurt's Secret Son

Sounds like one of the Democrats needs to come up with an epic West Wing speech owning the Republicans with facts and logic and gathering their shamed votes.

# ? Jan 3, 2023 14:07

Piell: Sep 3, 2006; Grey Worm's Ken doll-like groin throbbed with the anticipatory pleasure that only a slightly warm and moist piece of lemoncake could offer; Young Orc

projecthalaxy posted:

Sounds like one of the Democrats needs to come up with an epic West Wing speech owning the Republicans with facts and logic and gathering their shamed votes.

Sorry, even the idiotic centrist opinion writer class isn't even to come up that strong of a scenario
https://twitter.com/NormOrnstein/status/1609953698884554754

# ? Jan 3, 2023 14:20

evilweasel: Aug 24, 2002

The Freedom Caucus putting out a marker:

https://twitter.com/repscottperry/status/1610260382903603206?s=46&t=9fraFK0x-7hBIYksUiihrg

Going to be a fun day!

# ? Jan 3, 2023 14:23

Randalor: Sep 4, 2011

Mooseontheloose posted:

The number is 218 no matter who. There is no path for a Democrat because above all else the Republicans are disciplined to not give the Democrats anything ever.

Yeah, that's fair. Though the Dems only need 4 people to throw in with them, so they may be able to get the least-bad Republican (for dems, anyways) into the role. Bonus points if those 4 people are some of the extreme right-wing loons that didn't do the math before voting for the Democrat's Republican choice as a statement against McCarthy and accidentally elect someone not-terrible to the role.

# ? Jan 3, 2023 14:35

cr0y: Mar 24, 2005

When do we get to start live streaming this poo poo

# ? Jan 3, 2023 14:46

Piell: Sep 3, 2006; Grey Worm's Ken doll-like groin throbbed with the anticipatory pleasure that only a slightly warm and moist piece of lemoncake could offer; Young Orc

C-Span says 12 eastern

# ? Jan 3, 2023 14:54

BIG FLUFFY DOG: Feb 16, 2011; On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog.

Piell posted:

Sorry, even the idiotic centrist opinion writer class isn't even to come up that strong of a scenario
https://twitter.com/NormOrnstein/status/1609953698884554754

There�s been rumors that McCarthy would prop up an alternative centrist candidate in the event he fails to gently caress over Scalise. Upton has been rumored to possibly be that candidate. But those are just rumors and I don�t think McCarthy is smart enough or vicious enough to go through with it and this is the lamest loving way to do it.

# ? Jan 3, 2023 15:10

Seth Pecksniff: May 27, 2004; Can't post for 2 hours!

cr0y posted:

I think he will get the votes

........eventually

I'm not sure about that because the hardliners have said they'd take Jeffries as speaker before McCarthy. If 20 of them vote present that's enough for Jeffries to squeak by

quote:

In a private meeting yesterday, Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Lauren Boebert (R-CO) and Scott Perry (R-PA) told Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) that they don’t mind if the speaker vote goes to plurality and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is elected because they will fight him, Punchbowl News reports.

Jake Sherman: “The vibe in the GOP leadership right now is that it’s time to have the fight with the House Freedom Caucus that has been brewing for 12 years. Will McCarthy end up as speaker? Who knows. This speaker fight can go a long long time.”

# ? Jan 3, 2023 15:31

Mooseontheloose: May 13, 2003

Seth Pecksniff posted:

I'm not sure about that because the hardliners have said they'd take Jeffries as speaker before McCarthy. If 20 of them vote present that's enough for Jeffries to squeak by

loving do it freedom caucus. Give the Democrats control of the house again.

# ? Jan 3, 2023 15:33

Seth Pecksniff: May 27, 2004; Can't post for 2 hours!

Honestly even if it was the Dems + 5 Rs we would reduce the risk of default and at least fund the government if nothing else. The budgets would be meh but at least they'd be budgets with Dem priorities in them rather than "Burn the Elderly for Fuel Act of 2023"

# ? Jan 3, 2023 15:36

Goatse James Bond: Mar 28, 2010; If you see me posting please remind me that I have Charlie Work in the reports forum to do instead

Speaker Jeffries would be handy, but even then I hope we only get it after at least a week of hilarious disaster.

# ? Jan 3, 2023 15:40

Failed Imagineer: Sep 22, 2018

As a plus, Speaker Jefferies Scenario would also permanently kill the take that GOP are master political strategists rather than evil morons

# ? Jan 3, 2023 15:48

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# ? May 4, 2024 08:42

Mooseontheloose: May 13, 2003

Seth Pecksniff posted:

Honestly even if it was the Dems + 5 Rs we would reduce the risk of default and at least fund the government if nothing else. The budgets would be meh but at least they'd be budgets with Dem priorities in them rather than "Burn the Elderly for Fuel Act of 2023"

The Republican energy platform: Burn the Elderly then let one car get electrified.

# ? Jan 3, 2023 16:00

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Debate & Discussion > USCE Winter 2023: change thread titles constantly, almost on a daily basis

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