As Pelosi passes the torch, McCarthy struggles with GOP support - MSNBC

In theory, a emblematic governmental perceiver mightiness expect to spot a divided, acrimonious House Democratic league astatine each other’s throats, portion the House Republican league links arms successful celebration. After all, the second conscionable achieved its extremity — the GOP flipped the enclosure successful the midterm elections — portion the erstwhile conscionable mislaid its grip connected power.

And yet, everything appears to beryllium going rather smoothly connected broadside of the aisle — and it’s not the broadside that fared good successful the midterms.

On Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that she would not question different word successful the Democratic leadership. On Friday morning, a caller squad featuring Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, and Rep. Pete Aguilar of California took shape. On Friday afternoon, arsenic The Washington Post reported, Pelosi formally threw her enactment down her party’s slate.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) connected Friday gave her blessing to a trio of House Democrats seeking enactment positions, saying she is “confident that these caller leaders volition capably pb our Caucus and the Congress.” Her connection came aft run announcements by Democratic Reps. Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) for number leader, Katherine M. Clark (Mass.) for number whip and Pete Aguilar (Calif.) for Democratic caucus chairman. No different candidates person announced challenges to those 3 contenders.

A Politico report added, “House Democrats are progressively apt to elite their troika of apical leaders for the adjacent Congress without immoderate large confrontation, ensuring a amusement of unity arsenic they participate the minority.”

It’d beryllium a flimsy overstatement to suggest everything went entirely smoothly: Rep. Joe Neguse was besides eyeing a enactment post, and with Rep. James Clyburn deciding to enactment connected arsenic adjunct leader, the Coloradan whitethorn beryllium the unusual antheral out. That said, by immoderate just measure, the process among House Democrats has gone remarkably smoothly.

It’s a harmless stake that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is jealous of Democratic unity.

To beryllium sure, erstwhile GOP members met past week, McCarthy was easy nominated arsenic the conference’s prime for House talker successful the adjacent Congress. But the Californian faced a right-wing rival and the last tally was 188 to 31.

The occupation for the incumbent House number person is arithmetic: McCarthy volition request 218 votes to unafraid the speaker’s gavel. He won’t get immoderate Democratic votes. His league successful the adjacent Congress volition astir apt extremity up with 221 oregon 222 members. At that point, the mathematics is beauteous straightforward: With a 221-member conference, the Republican person tin suffer nary much than 3 of his ain members, portion with a 222-member conference, the Republican person tin suffer nary much than 4 of his ain members.

The information that 31 GOP members didn’t ballot for McCarthy past week wasn’t a large start, though astir of them volition extremity up backing him erstwhile it counts. But however galore won’t?

Rep. Andy Biggs, the seat of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus, not lone declared past week that helium “cannot” enactment McCarthy, the Arizonan besides added, “I bash not judge helium volition ever get to 218 votes, and I garbage to assistance him successful his effort to get those votes.”

Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida besides appears to beryllium a hard “no” ballot against McCarthy, and helium welcomed Rep. Matthew Rosendale of Montana into his faction precocious past week. Around the aforesaid time, Rep. Bob Good of Virginia told reporters that McCarthy has “not done thing to gain my vote,” adding that helium doesn’t judge McCarthy is adjacent to securing the 218 votes helium needs.

Or enactment different way, there’s rather a spot of uncertainty surrounding the Republican enactment team.

I won’t unreal to cognize however this volition unfold successful the coming weeks. Maybe McCarthy’s critics volition onslaught behind-the-scenes deals that alteration their minds; possibly credible GOP rivals volition measurement up; possibly nary 1 volition person the indispensable 218 votes erstwhile it comes clip to elite a caller talker successful January. (There’s immoderate precedent for a contentious process. Remember what happened successful 1856?)

The 1 happening that seems obvious, though, is that McCarthy would emotion thing much than to person the benignant of unity Democrats are presently enjoying.