Democracy is messy. But this messy?
Attention Democrats!: If you鈥檙e planning to run for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2024, I have just the campaign strategy for you.
Just end every one of your paid political announcements with the words 鈥淎T LEAST I鈥橫 NOT A REPUBLICAN!鈥�
You might be a bank robber who steals candy from babies after you鈥檝e cheated on your taxes. But you鈥檒l still have a shot at winning a House seat if you declare, 鈥淎t least I鈥檓 not a Republican.鈥�
Republicans have shown they鈥檙e hardly capable of being tethered to common sense since they took control of the House last January.
They jettisoned House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and they鈥檝e run through a laundry list of his possible successors in back rooms and in public. They鈥檝e done it with such ham-handed, amateurish clumsiness it蘑菇视频 no longer a clown car. It蘑菇视频 a clown fleet.
All while Donald Trump and his assorted MAGAbillies confirm they aren鈥檛 quite fit to run the country.
Democracy is supposed to be messy (they say). But this messy?
Probably not.
Ask any Democrat, and they鈥檒l tell you that getting the job of Speaker of the House 鈥� which is second in line to succeed the president 鈥� normally doesn鈥檛 present this many problems.
Nancy Pelosi served in that position twice (from 2007 until 2011; and from 2019 until 2023) with hardly any of the in-house political intrigue that has become the hallmark of this Republican House majority.
McCarthy, who蘑菇视频 emerged as something of a House Speaker Emeritus, has shown glimpses of clear thought: 鈥淭his is embarrassing for the Republican Party. It蘑菇视频 embarrassing for the nation,鈥� he said on 鈥淢eet the Press.鈥�
There are serious domestic issues confronting the country, with an impending government shutdown set to take place on Nov. 17, barring any further actions.
There are two wars that will likely require solid backings from both Republicans and Democrats.
But instead, Republicans have been forced to try to solve issues within their party that they鈥檝e caused themselves.
Last year at this time, Republicans were gloating about their prospects of igniting a Red Wave that would sweep them into control of the House and the Senate.
That Red Wave didn鈥檛 materialize. Republicans failed to take control of the Senate. And they only took control of the House by a slim margin.
McCarthy蘑菇视频 job was on the line from the minute he took the speaker蘑菇视频 gavel. He only lasted 269 days.
With the urgency of domestic and world problems needing to be solved, Republicans went to battle, but against each other.
They鈥檝e presented a spectacle that may serve as a primer for how not to do the people蘑菇视频 business.
Oh, McCarthy and the others are quick to claim that Democrats helped to have him removed from his speakership.
Not that it matters much now, but McCarthy spent the better part of 10 months paying little or no attention to congressional Democrats. He couldn鈥檛 expect them to side with him when his job was on the line.
All of this should be instructive to voters when every seat in the House of Representatives is up for grabs on Nov. 5, 2024.
That means Democrats will have an ample chance to employ their own 鈥淩ed Wave,鈥� since Republicans don鈥檛 seem to be up to the job of governing 鈥� without creating an embarrassing, ongoing kerfuffle.
McCarthy蘑菇视频 demise led to a cattle call of potential speakers who failed to get the requisite support among Republicans.
One Republican, Tom Emmer from Minnesota, appeared to be ready to take his seat until Donald Trump stepped in and ruined his candidacy.
As it happened, Rep. Emmer had voted to certify the 2020 presidential election results. He蘑菇视频 simply not an election denier.
Trump took to social media and blasted Emmer 鈥� calling him a RINO.
Within hours, Emmer withdrew his name from contention.
Instead, Louisiana蘑菇视频 Mike Johnson, an election denier, was picked.
Trump didn鈥檛 object to Johnson being selected.
Rep. Johson is the new Speaker of the House.
Let蘑菇视频 see how long that lasts.
Edward A. Owens is a multi-Emmy Award winner, former reporter, and anchor for Entertainment Tonight, and 50-year TV news and newspaper veteran. E-mail him at freedoms@bellatlantic.net.