Chris Smith for Speaker
In light of what is going on in Israel, writing about Republican struggles to find a Speaker of the House seems as Bono recently said “somewhat ridiculous even laughable” but there is a connection worth exploring. Simply put, it is that we seem to be spending time, effort, and treasure in the vain hope that with enough logic, reason and thoughtful discussion the “other” side will join “us” in creating some “better” future. Maybe we have reached a point in the world where our only hope is to admit that not all Republicans or Democrats or Israelis or Palestinians are worth talking to. Parts in each group seems to only care about the destruction of the other side. It isn’t about the future for these folks, it is about the annihilation of the present. Maybe it is time to move away from trying to give every side a fair and equal deal. Maybe it is about reshuffling the entire deck.
The fact that it took 15 votes for Kevin McCarthy (R-Ca) to become the Speaker of the House meant that it was a question of when, not if, he would lose his speakership. That day finally came and it’s a mess. I am sure the Republicans will figure it out. They will eventually vote in the next history chasing knucklehead who thinks that some combination of logic, reason, fiscal responsibility, and tough talk about securing America’s world leadership is enough to keep the likes of Matt Gaetz (R-Fl), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO) inside the tent. But it won’t. Sooner or later, they will find a new outrage which they will use to justify the blocking of all outcomes. They don’t care about cutting a deal, if they did McCarthy would still be Speaker. They only care about destruction.
The two leading candidates for Speaker are Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Jim Jordan (R-OH). Scalise once said he was “David Duke without the baggage,” I am guessing that means he never actually got his Klan membership card or the secret decoder ring, but he really wanted one. Jim Jordan was once called a “Legislative Terrorist” by former Republican Speaker John Boehner. You know we are in a scary new world when the options for leadership are the Klan or a terrorist.
But here is the deal. The next speaker is going to be a Republican. That is simple math. They have more members than Democrats, so the next speaker ought to be a Republican. And while it is a low bar, there are much better Republicans out there. Democrats ought to find one and help make them the speaker. Democrats should stop dealing with Gaetz and company and start playing with Republicans like Elise Stefanik (R-NY); Tom Cole (R-OK); Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (R-WA) or New Jersey’s own Chris Smith (R-NJ).
Everyone on that list is an improvement over Scalise and Jordan. Clearly, none of them see the world the way most Democrats do. All of them are pro-life to varying degrees. Stefanik was a bit of a 2020 election denier. Cole loves guns and hates any restrictions on them. McMorris-Rodgers is terrible on LGBTQ issues. While Fitzpatrick would win a “most likely to be a Democrat” contest, his district is so evenly split that if he cuts a deal with Democrats, he will likely lose his seat.
So why not Chris Smith? He has been there a long time and therefore he at least knows how the place works. He also presumably remembers how it worked better in the past. If he cuts a deal with Democrats, it will probably help his re-election chances in the 4th district. Sure, he occasionally goes off the rails, but who among us doesn’t? But more than anything Smith is certainly not advocating for the absolute destruction of all institutions of government. His life’s work fighting against human trafficking and his leadership on public health issues ranging from STEM cell research to AIDS education show that he recognizes the need for governments around the world to be involved in solving global problems. That must mean something, doesn’t it?
So going back to the parallel with the Middle East. The same logic that gets Chris Smith to be Speaker of the House would get the Palestinian Authority back in charge of Gaza instead of Hamas. That is not a particularly appetizing thought, but it is better than what Israel is facing right now. Luckily for America no matter how it shakes out the reshuffling of the Congressional deck will be less bloody and deadly than the one that is rightly about to take place in Gaza. At least for now.
Stop it with this both sides nonsense. The crazy is only on one side. There is dysfunction only on one side. Every member of the Democratic caucus can work with every other member and each faction can compromise with every other faction no matter how grudgingly. They have proven it time and time again.
Perhaps it’s time to admit Republicans can not govern, can not compromise, can’t even get through a hearing about Hunter Bidens laptop without embarrassing themselves because they see the world from a fundamentally flawed point of view. They have completely rejected empiricism. They’ve gaslighted their base voters for so long they rightfully fear them learning the truth. No one, including Chris Smith, can fix that in any way other than we the people voting the party into oblivion.
Theo Frenchese leaves out one important factor about the Democrats. They are not Democrats. They have become Socialists and Communists. So, to say there is “crazy only on one side” or “there is dysfunction only on one side”, meaning Republicans, is the real gaslighting and projection. Look at what Democrats have done: Turn the U.S. from an energy dominant nation into an energy beggar nation; gutted our military to the point we don’t have enough ammunition to even defend ourselves; the “Green Raw Deal” is an economic boondoggle only for the Democrat rich and their rich cronies to benefit from and taxing all Americans into oblivion, while the Chinese and Indians continue pollute the environment with no checks on them. Democrats have destroyed our border to the point we have no border, and thousands of terrorists are entering the U.S. every day.
Yes, the Democrats have ruined our economy, our military, our security, our society, our morality (with wokeism, the LGBTQ agenda and pushing our children into transgenderism–which in reality is child sexual abuse).
So, there you have it. Democrats are anti-American, anti-Free Market, anti-secure border, anti-military, anti-Family, anti-Children. They are nothing more than child sex abusing pedophiles, narco-terrorists, corrupt political classes, and petty tyrants.
Chris Smith has been in office for 43 years. His party has not seen fit to allow him to hold any leadership positions. I’m sure they have their reasons. I wouldn’t expect too many votes to elevate him to the top job. They have more than 200 other choices.
Chris Smith is one of those Congresscritters that “goes along, to get along”. His handlers, or lobbyists behind the scenes pay him handsomely to do their bidding. So, Smith doesn’t rock the boat, and follows that money.
Chris Smith would be a decent choice amongst the Republicans. His constituents keep voting for him over and over in a blue state. As far as the what the above writer has written calling Democrats pedophiles is beyond all human decency. Please police this forum and delete his delusional potentially violent rhetoric and block him from this forum. By the way …..blah ba blah blah . How many times do I have to listen to some QAnon freak. I have a niece who is one and her life story is real sad just like the rest of them. Disaffected psycho s
Chris Smith would be a decent choice amongst the Republicans. His constituents keep voting for him over and over in a blue state. As far as the what the above writer has written calling Democrats pedophiles is beyond all human decency. Please police this forum and delete his delusional potentially violent rhetoric and block him from this forum. By the way …..blah ba blah blah . How many times do I have to listen to some QAnon freak.
Chris Smith would be a decent choice amongst the Republicans. His constituents keep voting for him over and over in a blue state. As far as the what the above writer has written calling Democrats pedophiles is beyond all human decency. Please police this forum and delete his delusional potentially violent rhetoric and block him from this forum. By the way …..blah ba blah blah . How many times do I have to listen to some QAnon freak.
Smith wins because his district has been gerrymandered to ensure it. 22 terms, age 70, more concerned with ending abortion around the world than the struggles of his constituents. But then his only job was working in the family store in his 20s. No town halls in decades. So called moderate happy to vote for an election denier and put democracy at risk to keep his power at retirement age. Thankfully there seems to be a few Republicans who don’t “go Nazi” to get along with the party.
He’s in a blue state but a red gerrymandered district. 70 years old, only worked for the family store in his 20s before a lifetime feeding on the public trough. Became a Republican to ride in on Reagan’s coattails and now supports anti-American election denier to go along to get along. Dedicated to controlling women’s bodies around the world and hasn’t faced his constituents in decades. Thinks Lyme disease is a conspiracy because a family member has it.