On October 3rd, 2023, something that has never happened before in the history of the United States occurred. For the first time in the nearly three hundred years the United States has existed, a Speaker of the House was ousted by a vote in the body. Kevin McCarthy, who was speaker of the house before his removal, seemed to fall out of favor with the political power blocs that saw his ascension to one of the most prestigious positions in the United States, and the spot that made him third in line to the presidency of the United States of America. His decision to compromise with house democrats to avoid a government shutdown enraged the MAGA Republicans, who saw fit to remove him from office, and due to his unwillingness to compromise with house democrats to secure their support in the removal vote, he saw no favor from them.
Now, in the wake of his removal, the House, paralyzed by the lack of an elected speaker, barely continuing on under the guidance of emergency speaker of the house Patrick McHenry, is scrambling to appoint a new speaker in order to avoid a government shutdown. The House must have a speaker to continue the processes of the United States government and establish the financial budget of the United States, lest argument result in the ultimate closure of the United States government. In desperation, MAGA republicans desperately pushed a new candidate, in hopes he could succeed where others failed: Representative Jim Jordan.
Jim Jordan is the representative for Ohio’s fourth congressional district. A MAGA Republican, he hopes to secure the House for the MAGA Republicans once and for all, especially after the failures of Kevin McCarthy and amidst moderate Republican rage. Jim Jordan has many positives and credentials to his bid for the speaker position. He has never lost an election, maintaining an undefeated record in that regard. His hardball tactics and uncompromising attitude have earned him the moniker “Second Speaker of the House.” He possesses a master’s degree as well as a J.D. Perhaps most impressive, Jim Jordan withstood the historic blue wave that swept Democrats into control of the House of Representatives for the first time in 12 years to win Ohio’s 4th congressional district with 60 percent of the vote.
However, there are many negatives to his character as well. The January 6th Committee found that he played a role in former president Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election. His uncompromising attitude, whilst able to be seen as a positive, has earned him ire and scorn from the more moderate members of the house who wish to keep the government running and functioning smoothly. Overall, he could accurately be described as a divisive figure in American politics.
Following an initial failed vote to secure his spot as the speaker of the house, Jim Jordan and MAGA Republicans forced a second vote, met by much the same failure, indeed, with him gaining even less votes than during the first vote. Now, despite his dual failures, and the chance of him succeeding being the least in the entire time of his bid to be speaker, the House is gearing up for yet another vote in another desperate attempt to secure Jim Jordan as Speaker of the House, and with him, ensure MAGA Republicans dominate and control the House of Representatives. But with the mounting pressure within the government itself, and with external pressures and the tension of the world heating up, many wonder if the center can hold.
