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I Support McCarthy and I Wish Him Well, But — Where Have All the Apocalypti-cons Gone?
I’m happy to support Speaker McCarthy and will do so as long as he works in good faith to forward the items he agreed to. Nobody gets everything they want, and I think that everybody concerned did an admirable job. We have a heck of an opportunity here, brought about by the HFC 20 sticking to their guns, and McCarthy ceding a little ground for their support. That “little ground” is quite important to me.
I’m not going to pretend to like McCarthy or pretend that there isn’t an ugly history between folks like him (including him) and folks like me. I don’t have to do any of that in order to conditionally support him, and I mean to genuinely support him while the conditions are met. “I’m in.”
Meanwhile… Where are the sandwich-boarded, ‘end-is-nigh’ers shouting REPENT! at passing conservatives, threatening them with hellfire and damnation if they don’t change their votes to McCarthy right now? Remember, less than a week ago, this was the end of our representative form of government, embarrassing on the world stage, giving the whole House to the Democrats, assuring Speaker Jeffries and President Pelosi or whatever was supposed to happen. Hannity lamely tried to yuk it up with Boebert after trashing her — but then she and Gaetz won, and suddenly he was all shucks and gee, ‘Remember when we had that lively debate a couple of days ago? That we great, huh?’
Sean Hannity, in the words of the distinguished social commentator Afroman, “can get these.”
It reminded me of the Trump-will-end-the-world Republicans. No hedging, no half-stepping. Full-blown worldwide economic collapse, nuclear Armageddon, global starvation — we were DOOMED if we elected Trump, and then we were DOOMED because we elected Trump, and then it turned out that mostly things were fine, and many things got better, until the Deep State overthrew the man because things were off-script. Now look.
The “Unconditional McCarthy Right Now Damn You!” people were really mad about it too — no half-measures, no nuance. It was wall to wall ‘you are destroying the Republic!’, all condemnation of the kooks on the right. I’d like to keep my thumbs in their eyes for as long as possible. It’s not the sinner, but the Pharisee who fractures a church. These Taqfiri-cons deserve some short-sheeting.
Just not at Speaker McCarthy’s expense. Our side agreed to support him and he promised to support some specific causes of ours. Could be a good thing.
EDIT: Just a clarifying note here.
I don’t believe I saw on Ricochet any of the crazy behavior I uncharitably described in my post. I have been thinking of the Dan Crenshaws and Sean Hannitys who shouted demands (“questions”) and called us names like terrorist, insurrectionist, saboteur, and traitor. These are the same to me as the ones who told us that we would cause a Democrat Speaker even while they threatened to form a coalition with Democrats to do just that (or effectively that). Those are the apocalypti-cons I speak of.
Of course, if you wanted to be numbered among them and I somehow overlooked your contribution, by all means, speak up in the comments.
Published in General
I’m so tired of the hysteria. It’s like people think that if they throw a loud enough tantrum, people will pay attention. Not. I think considering the whole picture, the results are okay. Time will tell.
Agree BDB. Now let the Ky. Congressman start the investigations. Church Committee 2. Can’t wait.
I’ll give you a post like even though I’m one of the people who was against the rebellion. Actually to be more precise, I wasn’t against the rebellion at first. I just thought it went on way too long. Who knows what the ramifications and unintended consequences will be? The thing is the Republican majority is wafer thin and any animosity between members could be self defeating. It does seem that friction within the Republican side is at a height. Let’s hope they now work together to accomplish something conservative. What’s done is done.
Manny, I certainly don’t recall you screeching like the talking heads were. Come to think of it, I don’t believe I saw on Ricochet any of the crazy behavior I uncharitably described in my post. I have been thinking of the Dan Crenshaws and Sean Hannitys who shouted demands (“questions”) and called us names like terrorist, insurrectionist, saboteur, and traitor. These are the same to me as the ones who told us that we would cause a Democrat Speaker even while they threatened to form a coalition with Democrats to do just that (or effectively that). Those are the apocalypti-cons I speak of.
I’ll add this to the post as well. Thank you for identifying a gap in coverage, as it were.
I thought I was an Apocalypticon (nice word!). Disappointed to learn I’m an optimist.
Not only that, but where are all those “cult of personality” Trump supporters? Trump pumped for McCarthy and I wanted the rebels to carry on and deny McCarthy the speakership. I think he’s in the mold of Ryan, Cantor (the “Young Guns”), and the others who turn out to be the Surrendercons.
But, whatever. The best we can hope for is gridlock, I suppose.
Actually I was not against the rebellion until I saw Hannity’s reaction. Hannity is always at the furthest right of any issue, so when I saw him angered I started wondering who the 20 were actually appealing to? If they lost Hannity I assessed they lost everyone on the right. I still think most on the right do not have a favorable opinion of the 20. If you think those concessions amount to anything of substance, then it turned out as best as expected. I suspect (though admittedly not sure) those concessions are superficial and what fissures they created might harm the House Republicans later. Like I said this is a razor thin majority. Any fracture will be costly.
I was one of the doomsayers, and I have to say that I am happy that we have a republican not named Fred Upton as speaker. Generally happy with the result.
Ordinarily Mark Levin drives me nuts. But I heard his opening tonight, and I think he’s spot on. He didn’t blame, condemn or disparage the past week. He did say (and I hope I’m characterizing his comments fairly) that we’ve got to get past the petty annoyances and the Republicans have to work together. Whether they like McCarthy or not. There is so much to be done and that can be done if we’re on the same page.
I am hopeful, particularly since the left is going nuts because of the agreements.
Well said!
I hope the conservative pundits who attacked the Caucus take a step back to think about what happened. I don’t believe they did it because of bad motives, but because they’re still operating in the 2015 election mindset where all that we needed was to have a GOP victory and we could finally fix what Obama had destroyed. With that mindset, anything that stalls the GOP helps the Democrats. After the monumental opportunity we had in 2016 was thrown away, these Pundits should have reevaluated that belief and found it wanting. They need to return to first principles and develop new analyses of the present sitation.
Hannity is not the furthest right. I can’t pin him down but I stopped listening to him because he is not consistent at all. And I don’t find his style very appealing.
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Goldberg’s response was gold.
Which Goldberg, and where?
Jonah essentially called them fart sniffers.
Remember Project Fear in the run-up to Brexit?
They made the same claims about Reagan, as I recall.
It’s no different than the hysteria that without the GOP the country is doomed. Getting rid of a corrupt machine that doesn’t allow the grass roots to have their way will only empower the grass roots to step in and have their way. It won’t lead to 1000 years of progressive darkness just like this didn’t lead to some consensus speaker. The political pundit class are morons just like the people they opine on.
Roger Kimball at American Greatness:
https://amgreatness.com/2023/01/07/the-new-mccarthyism/
He pretty well sums up my thoughts on the matter. I don’t trust McCarthy or his “leadership.” I think we’ll be lucky if nothing disastrous to MAGA/Tea Party conservatives happens in the next two years. Now who’s the Apocalypticon!
I don’t think I’ve ever heard Hannity not take the most right position and I had listened to him for years and years on the radio. What position of Hannity’s is not solidly on the right?
what I find amazing is things like a week delay of picking the speaker is a 10 in DC but 30 trillion in debt is a shrug
Wake me up when the Repubs actually do something other than performance art.
Ooh, can I use this one? Can I, huh, can I?
You said furthest right and I don’t think that is accurate. Sometimes, Rush was further right than Hannity. I’d put Hannity at Santorum level of right naturally, but he only moves more right as more right positions gain popularity. Like Trump and immigration.
Rush never went full far right, either, but his positions never had so much movement.
Rush always struck me as an original thinker. You couldn’t typically predict his take on a particular issue, even if you knew his general stance was principled conservatism. He was irreplaceable because of that.
Hannity is far less original in that regard. He adopts a Party Conservative approach generally and doesn’t really buck the party line too much. There are plenty of people who can do essentially the same thing. It’s not meant as a criticism, just a comparison.
Yeah… that’s my view on the two of them, too. But towards the end for Rush, I always sensed some vocal tension on some issues like he wanted to say more or go further but stopped himself.
Let’s see how this affects them:
Charlie Kirk on Twitter: “Rep. Matt Gaetz: The American people are finally going to get the truth about Jan 6. https://t.co/Lcz2EdfwhI” / Twitter
Not if the DOJ can erase them first!