Popularity Contest. . .

(Popularity Contest. )

In any sporting event, whichever team takes to the field,.the court or whatever, there is always a plan as developed by the coaching staff to be executed in the process of the contest. Hopefully, the result would be placed in the "win" column. When players take to the field et al, it is in the understanding that each member is acting as a unit. Each has a role to play and it is in playing that role where success is derived. Except on the exception where one of the players, for reasons of ambition and ego, goes out in the pursuit of individual glory. He, or she, takes to the arena for one's personal aggrandizement. What happens to the rest of the team, however ?

The "team," in this case is the new House Republican Majority who is looking to take power come next January but as to who the "coach" is going to be remains an open question. Congressman Kevin McCarthy, ostensibly the next Speaker, has not secured enough votes from the Conference. In other words, the GOP is not unified. The limited numbers the Conference does have one would think that there would be more agreement among the members. One can start by an early and decisive vote for Kevin McCarthy as Speaker.

One recalls that Nancy Pelosi never had this problem. If anything, she was able to keep her Caucus in a vise grip. She had a smaller Majority than McCarthy, assuming he is the next Speaker, will have but every vote had the entire Democrat Conference voting as she demanded. For the Republicans, especially the more conservative variety, McCarthy will need this Bloc in order to secure becoming Speaker.

But what is more dis-heartening is this display of Republican dis-unity and the Gavel has not even been transferred yet. This is no time for petty turf battles with Members vying for position. How can Republicans proceed on that they want done when they cannot even negotiate preliminaries ? What will happen if the Democrats are able to elect a Democrat Speaker of a Republican Majority ?

Republicans are getting off on the wrong foot. A smaller Conference is generally more easily controlled but the same sheet of music still needs to be read. If there is no sense of Party unity by the time the next Congress convenes, then whatever chance these Republicans have to alter the direction of the country could be compromised.