And They're Off!
Leadership’s quest for power after a mediocre performance
House Republicans were projected to take back the majority in large numbers where a red tsunami or red wave was to flood the chamber with a 25+ seat gain. But as time took its course, the wide margin of victory in the next congressional session seemed to dim. So after a disappointing evening for many in the party, House Republican leaders announced their promotions the following day because slots needed to be filled by someone eventually.
While it is no shock to anyone, Republican minority leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) threw his hat in the ring to run for Speaker. Come January and McCarthy is elected Speaker supposedly, the ability to whip a small batch of Republican members to stay in the party line may be a challenge given such a thin margin to work on. After all, his relationship with the staunch House Freedom Caucus may make or break his tenure. Just be careful what you wish for.
Given the publicity in their quest for the next best thing, having minimal contention may signal better relations amongst party leaders compared to years past. For instance, Steve Scalise (R-LA) — who once looked as an alternate candidate for Speaker — didn't want to burst McCarthy's bubble, and launched his own bid for Majority Leader. In a memo hoping to serve as the next GOP Majority Leader, he explained, "I will work relentlessly to usher our vision through the House and show the country how conservative ideas can solve the problems that families are facing."
Elise Stefanik (R-NY) declared her intentions to run again for the House GOP Conference Chair. At the same time, other lawmakers such as Republican Study Committee (RSC) chairman Jim Banks (R-IN) and Tom Emmer (R-MN) set their sights to become Majority Whip.
To top it all off, in celebratory remarks about the so-called tremendous red wave, Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel remarked this midterm victory as if they won the Super Bowl, and would stop the Biden administration's agenda from hurting Americans. In addition, she said, "The wave did happen because we are waving goodbye to Speaker Nancy Pelosi."
In what was once the epic helmet catch by David Tyree in Super Bowl XLII that sent the NY Giants on the path to victory, this election was no Super Bowl celebration to cheer about. Instead, many conservatives were dumbfounded and frustrated about how their party spent millions of dollars to let a large victory slip away. What Republican leaders had done was a dismal play, similar to what former Giants coach Joe Judge called upon two quarterback sneaks on their five-yard line on 3rd-and-nine. Sure there was some progress made, but when the excuse was wanting to make room because "we were backed up," the buck has to stop somewhere, and that's usually the team's coach.
Just as many Giants fans called upon the resignation or firing of Joe Judge, others are calling on the party leadership to step down, for they haven't constructed a strong image of electoral gains. While it was a historic time for Republicans to control all three branches of government at the start of 2017, just about every election since then was progress for Democrats. With the Senate likely to be decided by a Georgia run-off election again, Republicans need to consider if their current leadership is worth keeping.
Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) indicated he would not support anybody for the Speaker's gavel unless a blueprint was laid upon the table. At the same time, his colleague Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) suggested that McCarthy hasn't done anything to earn his vote. So perhaps there may well be a protest candidate to challenge McCarthy's leadership integrity to solidify the general concerns of a few members within the Republican conference.
With lawmakers seeking higher status positions in the party, and rank-and-file members worried about the GOP's ability to legislate and credibility to win electorally, the question comes down to this: Who will pave the way for a better future for Republicans?