While we wait for the smoke to clear and the dust to settle here’s an intriguing flashback piece by Jake Sherman in today’s Punchbowl AM.
Sherman interviewed McCarthy back in October. He notes McCarthy’s confidence in his chances of being speaker.
“If I’m not going to be acceptable to the body, having all that scenario this time, no one’s acceptable. And so we’re not going to be productive. It doesn’t matter what happens then and I don’t worry about it at night. …
He should have worried. Because he knew what he would be up against.
Now my second term, and I’m sitting on five seat majority? That’s gonna be a little hard. …
And if he makes it?
“When you study speakers who take it from the minority to the majority, they’re not long lasting speakers.
And it will be very hard to manage the GOP caucus regardless who becomes speaker now. McCarthy has set the stage for an ongoing goat rope.
And who comes along after him?
it’s always the person behind you that wants to pick it up after you’ve been shot. They never had to go through the war, they just get to hold onto the flag.”
I’ll let you ponder who he meant…
Fascinating stuff. Read the whole thing.