Is Gym Jordan Toast-- He Needs To Do A Lot Better Today... Or He's Screwed

"American Politics: How Bad Can It Get?" by Nancy Ohanian

Hours before the balloting started yesterday, Jamelle Bouie wrote that “Even some of the Republicans who have vowed, publicly and privately, to fight him at every turn are beginning to get weak knees about supporting him, fearing that collective will is dwindling as their numbers decrease,” Politico reports. “Jordan’s allies have also expressed their view that the opposition to his bid for speaker will melt away as the actual vote on the floor comes near. Once again, Republicans are confronted with a deeply transgressive figure with open contempt for the institutions of American democracy, flawed as they may be. Once again, Republicans swear they’ll resist his ascent. Once again, Republicans cave, more fearful of losing a primary— or coming in for criticism from conservative media— than they are of virtually anything else. And each time they cave, these more moderate or mainstream Republicans make the situation a little worse, for themselves and for the country. Kevin McCarthy bowed to expediency and pressure when he voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election in the House of Representatives. He did the same when he empowered the most gleeful insurrectionists in his attempt to gain the speaker’s gavel. Now he’s out, and Jim Jordan is on the rise.”

Or is he? Yesterday’s vote turned out like this:

• Hakeem Jeffries- 212

• Gym Jordan- 200

• Steve Scalise- 7

• Kevin McCarthy- 6

• Lee Zeldin- 3

• Tom Cole- 1

• Tom Emmer- 1

• Tom Massie- 1

• Mike Garcia- 1

By dint of alphabet, Don Bacon, who represents a district centered in Omaha that has swung quite blue in recent elections (Biden beat Trump there by 6.3 points), was the first to cast a vote against Jordan, who he says he will never vote for. He voted for McCarthy.

• Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR) voted for McCarthy.

• Anthony D'Esposito (NY) voted for Zeldin.

• Mario Díaz-Balart (FL) voted for Scalise.

• Jake Ellzey (TX) voted for his bestie Mike Garcia (R-CA)

• Andrew Garbarino (NY) was the second Long Islander fro Zeldin.

• Carlos Giménez (FL) voted for McCarthy.

• Tony Gonzales (TX) voted for Scalise.

• Kay Granger (TX) voted for Scalise.

• Mike Kelly (PA) voted for Scalise.

• Jen Kiggans (VA) voted for McCarthy.

• Nick LaLota (NY) was the 3rd Zeldin vote, leaving Jordan’s only support from Long Island fellow-criminal George Santos

• Mike Lawler (NY) voted for McCarthy.

• John Rutherford (FL) voted for Scalise.

• Michael Simpson (ID) voted for Scalise.

• Steve Womack (AR) voted for Scalise.

Republicans who were in the chamber but didn’t vote at first— by voted in the roundup— were:

• Ken Buck (CO)- Tom Emmer

• John James (MI)- Tom Cole

• David Joyce (OH)- Jordan

• Doug LaMalfa (CA)- McCarthy

• Victoria Spartz (IN)- Tom Massie

Gus Bilrakis (FL), a Jordan supporter, was at a funeral but will be voting today.

It’s probably worth mentioning that 14 Republicans from blue-leaning swing districts voted for Jordan… and the DCCC intends to make sure their constituents are aware of that. These are the fools who made that mistake:

• David Schweikert (AZ)- won by 0.88

• Juan Ciscomani (AZ)- won by 1.4

• John Duarte (CA)- won by 0.42

• David Valadao (CA)- won by 3.0

• Mike Garcia (CA)- won by 6.4

• Ken Calvert (CA)- won by 4.6

• Young Kim (CA)- won by 13.6

• Michelle Steel (CA)- won by 4.8

• Maria Salazar (FL)- won by 14.6

• Tom Kean (NJ)- won by 2.8

• George Santos (NY)- won by 7.6

• Marc Molinaro (NY)- won by 1.6

• Branson Williams (NY)- won by 0.98

• Brain Fitzpatrick (PA)- won by 9.8

Yesterday the DCCC sent this out to all incumbents and Democratic congressional campaigns: Messaging Guidance on GOP Extremism Under a Potential Speaker Jordan. “A Speaker Jordan,”they wrote, “means extremism and far-right priorities will govern the House of Representatives. It is imperative that our caucus makes clear to voters just how extreme Congressman Jordan is and how his Speakership would negatively impact working families across the country, threaten democratic norms, and weaken relationships with our allies.”

Messaging Guidance

● It appears there are no more moderates left in the Republican conference capable of standing up to the far right.

● Jordan will only win the speakership if so-called “moderates” continue to cave and get him there.

● Every Republican who votes for Jordan for Speaker is simply following Trump’s marching orders– it’s clear Republicans are incapable of governing themselves and instead look to the indicted former president for guidance on everything.

● Even more so than former Speaker McCarthy, a Speaker Jordan will force ‘moderate Republicans’ to take votes on government funding bills and other pieces of legislation that prioritize extreme fringe policies over fighting for middle-class families.

● If someone shows you who they are, believe them. Congressman Jordan has shown voters just how extreme he is and there is no indication that he’ll moderate himself in any way if he becomes speaker. In fact, he’ll pull the entire Republican caucus even further to the right.

● House Democrats stand ready to work across the aisle to lower costs for working families and make our communities safer. With a Speaker Jordan, that isn’t likely. Jim Jordan is one of the least bipartisan members of Congress, coming nearly dead last on the Lugar Center’s bipartisanship score.

Key Examples of Jordan’s Extremism

Voters won’t have to take our word for it. Here are just some examples of how the DCCC will use Jordan’s own record against the so-called moderates who vote for him.

1. Jordan sought to overturn the 2020 presidential election and has refused to comply with multiple subpoenas seeking to uncover details of the January 6 insurrection.

2. Jordan is a conspiracy theorist who has espoused talking points associated with the Great Replacement Conspiracy Theory in official government hearings.

3. Jordan is a founding member of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, whose “our way or no way” approach has torpedoed comprehensive immigration reform, sought repeatedly to kill the Affordable Care Act, and led the charge on multiple government shutdowns.

4. Jordan has repeatedly voted against common-sense, bipartisan legislation including disaster relief, aid for 9/11 victims, funding for medical research and opioid treatments, and expanded health care benefits for our veterans.

5. Jordan voted for the radical plan to end Medicare as we know it by raising the retirement age and drastically slashing benefits.

6. Jordan voted for a radical budget plan that would force large cuts to Social Security.

7. Jordan supports a nationwide abortion ban with no exemptions for rape, incest, or the life of the mother.

8. Jordan was allegedly complicit in a sexual assault coverup while working as an assistant coach at the Ohio State University.

The DCCC is committed to ensuring that every battleground Member of the Republican conference who stands and votes for a Speaker Jordan will be making a career ending move.

As for what we can expect today... well, if Jordan had the votes rounded up, there would have been another vote yesterday. He’ll certainly be the beneficiary of some of the weak knee-ed pussies who voted against him yesterday. But supposedly there are as many as 5 who had pledged to vote for him on ballot #1 but not subsequently and he may lose some of them. That’s exciting.

Yesterday, Charlie Sykes wrote how “one GOP ‘normie’’moderate’ and ‘establishment-type’ after another caved and backed Jordan after saying they wouldn’t— like Ann Wagner (MO), Mike Rogers (AL), Ken Calvert (CA). “So why,” he asked “did we expect that the mythical Normie Caucus would rise up, find its rumored moral courage, and at long last stand athwart the GOP’s crazy and say, ‘Stop?’ Why did anybody think that this time would be different? This is, after all, a party that is apparently about to renominate Trump for the presidency. For many in the GOP, the greater crazy trumped the lesser crazy. Why, after all, worry about running under the deeply deplorable and absurd Jordan, when you will already be on the ballot with the twice-impeached, quadruply indicted Trump? It’s Trump’s party, so why not give him control of the house GOP as well? Why risk a mean tweet? Why make Sean Hannity mad? The normies always cave. A tale as old as time.”