Gym fails first vote

First time wasn’t the charm for the sexual assault-enabling seditionist:

Jim Jordan won’t be speaker of the House — yet.

The Ohio Republican failed to get the 217 votes he needed to clinch the gavel during Tuesday’s first ballot, with 20 GOP votes against him. The House recessed immediately after the vote concluded, and it’s unclear when a second ballot will occur.

Some lawmakers aren’t optimistic it will happen anytime soon, with Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) saying confidently to reporters as he exited the floor: “Have a good evening everyone.”

The pause will allow Jordan to meet with some of the 20 Republican holdouts to try and bring them into his camp before voting again. Recessing before continuing on to a second ballot will allow sorely divided Republicans to regroup in private away from the House floor and potentially consider their strategy.

Two possibilities here:

• If only out of pure self-preservation, enough Republican House members in Biden districts realize that electing Paterno Ayn Pinochet to be Speaker of the House would be politically suicidal and keep holding out
• As with Ryan’s attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act, they hold out on the first vote and then fold like a 25 cent card table after being offered nothing.

I’d probably still bet on the latter, but there were more holdouts than I expected and Jordan isn’t exactly known for his subtle charm, so who knows.

…LOL:

Elise Stefanik, while nominating Jim Jordan for speaker: "Whether on the wrestling mat or committee room, Jim Jordan is strategic, scrappy, tough and principled!"

Democrats in the chamber naturally react because, well… pic.twitter.com/vx1eeiI3Gg— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) October 17, 2023