Pelosi battle to become speaker is a non-story

[4du]

The vast majority of Congressional voters against Pelosi now have their cover. These Congresspersons got it when their letter saying they would vote against Pelosi became public. Most of them had to promise to vote against Pelosi to get elected in a more conservative area. They were elected on local issues but had to run against the national Democrats. Pelosi represented the national Democrats. Nobody in the House will announce they are a candidate running against Pelosi for Speaker. The signers of the letter can now tell their voters they kept their promise. They can tell their voters they tried, but they had no choice.

[WhiteTara]

1. what is the total needed to become speaker?

[RockRaven]

4. You have to get a majority of the entire House, so 218

But usually the majority party votes amongst themselves to select their choice, then in the formal vote (almost) everyone gets in line and votes for the person chosen in the caucus vote.

Without a viable alternative (and Pelosi's got enough absolutely immovable supporters to prevent any other Dem from getting 218), even if these people refuse to vote for her, nobody gets 218 and they have a new round of voting. I suppose you could keep that up until people get bored and frustrated enough to change how they are voting just to move on. It's just embarrassing and unnecessary.

[4du]

5. 218, all member of the house vote for speaker

[Cha]

2. Yeah, but it's still

newsworthy.

Link to tweet

[DownriverDem]

7. They disgust me

We don't need this crap. I'm glad my rep (Debbie Dingell) is not one of them.

[Stinky The Clown]

12. 'plain, s'il vous plait.

Merci

[Orangepeel]

3. There will be 232, maybe 234 Democrats

16 can vote “present”

[msongs]

6. they can always vote for themselves and claim they did not vote for nancy nt

[DownriverDem]

8. Don't you

find that disgusting? I do.

[4du]

9. The first rule in politics is cover your ass

[PBass]

10. Many of them are just trying to keep their seat in a red or purple district. NT.

[onetexan]

11. this so-called "battle" is a non-battle

16 or 17 doesn't constitute a number large enough to be considered a real challenge to Nancy's eligibility for speakership. There is no one in the party more better equipped and more deserving than Speaker Pelosi. The media drummed it up constantly as a battle last couple weeks for a good story line. Nancy has no real threat to her leadership.

[Doitnow]

13. I would vote for Nancy Pelosi because she has a great RECORD. I agree with

everything she has done, with few exceptions, maybe she is a bit more conservative than I would prefer, but she has always had the general welfare in mind. AND she has tremendous ability and knowledge to be Speaker at a time when it is utterly important to be up to speed in that position. This is no time to be making a change. Maybe later, when others have learned from her, but not now. We have lots of talent to choose from. Let that talent become knowledgeable first.

[cynatnite]

14. It was a series of discussions...

Saying it was a battle made it sound like she had a chance of losing.

[backscatter712]

15. She's already won the Battle of the Rolodexes.

Or more precisely, she's built her support, talked with some of those in the Democratic caucus expressing opposition, cut some deals.

It's already done, and I'm fine with it.

Pelosi's gonna be a great Speaker again. She's got the political skills to be strategic and make things happen.