(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . He can't pass a bill - he can't raise money - what is the point of Jim Jordan? [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-10-18 For the second time, Jim Jordan failed to win the Speaker sweepstakes. In his second crack at it, he lost ground. In sane times, that would spell doom. But God only knows what the GOP’s legislative terrorists, who masquerade as a political party, might do to the holdouts to drag the accomplishment-free, sex-abuse enabler across the line. Jordan will be a contender until someone drives a metaphorical stake through his black heart. In an ideal world, a politician’s job is policy. In today’s America, the Republican politician’s main task is raising money. For the GOP, fiscal policy only exists to please the people whose donations they crave. Unfortunately for their “every slice is my slice” funders, Republican politicians in the MAGA era are addicted to energizing the base through hate and fear. Working on tax cuts and regulation slashing has taken a back seat to sensationalist hearings promising to expose imaginary Biden crimes. Worse, the zealots will not compromise on any aspect of their absolutism. They believe extremism is what the average American wants. They dismiss comity and concession as weakness. It is all or nothing — and nothing has won. And nothing is getting done. This failure is why, as much as Democrats think Jim Jordan is a turd in a swimming pool, the Republican donor class thinks he is even worse. Those self-dealers — who believe the GOP exists only to maximize profit — are desperate that the GOP returns to being an efficient machine tending to the needs of the rich. Jim Jordan cannot do that. The job of the party boss is to raise money. Raising money requires tack, diplomacy, cajoling, negotiation, and glad-handing. Jordan lacks those. And he cannot fake them. I doubt he even wants to. According to the polls (I hear the groans. I get it. Too soon. Too unreliable), the 2024 presidential race is inexplicably close. And the Senate, for geographical reasons , will be difficult for the Democrats to retain. This math leaves the House the easiest opportunity for Democrats to make some serious hay. And a Jordan speakership would be the gift that keeps on giving. Even in his failure, the Democrats are reaping the rewards. There are 212 of them in the House. And without dissent, they have twice voted 212 — 0 for Hakeem Jeffries. In lore, they are the party of unherdable cats — as Will Rogers famously said, “I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat.” In reality, they at least present a cohesive unit. Note: In Rogers's time, the Democrats were the party of Southern white conservatives. Now Republicans are. It is reasonable to infer that Southern White conservatives — who live as far north as Ohio — are the ones who cannot run a railroad. Jordan has developed a tidy career for himself — but he has done zilch for the country. In his 17 years in Congress, Jordan has been the primary sponsor on 53 pieces of legislation. None have ever become law. Today, Democratic Rep. Pete Aguilar summed up the pugnacious knob-end's lack of achievement. He began by citing Jordan: “He once said, quote, ‘I didn’t come to Congress to make more laws.’” Aguillar continued: “His words speak for themselves. When New Yorkers recovering from Hurricane Sandy needed Congress to act, he said no. When wildfires ravage the West, destroying homes and businesses, and those residents needed disaster assistance, he said no. When the Mississippi River floods devastated the South and communities across state lines needed Congress to act, he said no. When our veterans were suffering from disease and dying as a result of their service to our country, and Congress passed a bipartisan solution, he said no. When our ally in Ukraine looked to Congress for additional support to help defeat Putin, he said no. And just before Hamas’ brutal terrorist attack on Israel, he said no to fully funding military aid for our ally.” I suppose the nation should thank the 22 Republican Representatives who have, for now, blocked Jordan’s ambitions. However, among the remaining 199, there have to be some whose constituents do not want to be represented by friends of insanity. What are they thinking? Sadly, it is not about the country or the American people they often reference while they do nothing for them. These craven blobs are terrified of being primaried. They are not profiles in courage. But that is how the world works. The majority of conservatives are spineless. They are easy pickings for the wannabe dictator. From their godhead, who bum-snogs the world’s autocrats, to the US House, where the supplicants appease a bully, Republicans cannot wait to assume the position and ask for another. I do not know how the Speaker debacle will end. But it will not end well for Republicans. Either an unqualified and unaccomplished Jordan prevails. Or it is someone else who will soon be gone — as long as Matt Gaetz has something to say. And nothing shuts that vacuous fool up. [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/10/18/2200200/-He-can-t-pass-a-bill-he-can-t-raise-money-what-is-the-point-of-Jim-Jordan?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/