The definition of “schadenfreude” is taking pleasure from the misfortunes of others. Other than schadenfreude what is the interest in the squabbling among Republicans over who will be the next Speaker of the House?
I have even less interest in what Republicans do or do not do than most. No Republican has even run for mayor of Chicago in the last 45 years. That’s why it always galls me when Republicans say “Well, that’s what you get for electing Democrats”. Who else are we going to elect? They’re the only ones running.
I sincerely believe that if every Republican were to mysteriously vanish from the State of Illinois, it wouldn’t solve a single one of the state’s problems.
According to House rules the majority and minority caucuses each nominate one candidate and whichever of those candidates receives a majority of the votes cast by House members becomes speaker. In theory the Speaker of the House is not a partisan role like House Majority Leader. In practice it is.
As I’ve said before IMO the Speaker of the House is the most powerful individual in the United States. Not the president. Not the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Not the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Not even the CEO of Amazon. The Speaker of the House.
I also think that the accretion of power by party leaders is what makes the United States undemocratic. Consequently, reducing the power of party officials is more urgent than electoral reform or even civil service reform, both of which are long overdue.
So, what’s the big deal about Republicans squabbling over who will be the next speaker? I think it’s healthy. Healthier than no contest, anyway.
The speaker is powerful in theory, but I think this speaker will be especially weak because the constituency that will choose him/her is extremely divided.
“I also think that the accretion of power by party leaders is what makes the United States undemocratic. ”
Party leaders are pretty much irrelevant. The leaders that matter are not party leaders, but elected officials who hold positions like Speaker and Majority Leader. They are not beholden to the party at all – only the caucus that elected them.