Analysis: McCarthy offered up obscure-but-critical changes to House rules, but those changes could lead to his speedy exit from speaker’s suites with little to show for his tenure, further destabilizing an already dysfunctional institution. https://t.co/Hn7MwczXD8

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 6, 2023

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I’ve been watching a lot of the voting for Speaker of the House these last few days.

One part of me can’t stop watching. It’s like a real-life political reality show—filled with drama, lies, delusion, and total denial.

But I get so angry when I hear the Republicans lie, and even though I know they’ll do it, I can’t help from getting mad when it happens.

One of the things I hate most about politics is that it’s just so fake. There’s rarely true authenticity. Rarely are politicians willing to put their own positions of power at risk to actually speak up for or act on what they know is right.

Liz Cheney did it with investigating January 6th. Another Jan 6th committee member, Adam Kinzinger, campaigned for a few Democrats during this last election cycle—but he was retiring. Usually, it’s only when someone isn’t seeking reelection that they have the courage to speak out.

As I’ve been watching the news these days, I hear so much talk about how this is “so embarrassing” for Kevin McCarthy. Personally, I don’t think it’s embarrassing at all—those super extremists just don’t want to vote for him. I don’t necessarily think that should be embarrassing for him.

But I do think it’s sad and pathetic how he’s basically willing to sell his soul for the position—how much he’s willing to give away. He’s virtually willing to give up all power—to have virtually no power—just to have the title of “Speaker of the House.” Where’s the self-dignity, the self-respect? Shouldn’t there be some boundary, some hard line? Wouldn’t it be better to negotiate with others or make a different move than to sell your soul for something?

If he should feel bad about something, it should be about how he’s willing to sell so much of himself for the position.

But then again—Republicans have been doing this for years.

McCarthy was one of the 147 Republicans who voted to overturn the 2020 election. He courted Trump. He was against the January 6th committee probing into the insurrection. He (and the Republican Party as a whole) have adopted and supported the far right extremists. They’d do anything to stay in power; they have supported that group to be in power.

Honestly, he (and the Republican Party) are reaping what they sowed.

These far right extremists are the people they supported, who they embraced.

While I don’t find this embarrassing exactly for McCarthy, I do find it sad. I saw an image of him on the house floor last night and he looked a bit sad, and I couldn’t help but feel empathy for him (I don’t like seeing anyone feel sad).

However, what I find the saddest and most pathetic is that he’s basically selling his soul to try to be speaker. He’s made so many concessions that he basically wouldn’t have any power as speaker anyway.

I mean, what’s the point? Where’s the self-dignity? Where’s the self-respect?

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