Jim Jordan Lost his Second Shot at the Title 10 Minutes into the Vote

Gage Skidmore | Flickr.com

Jim Jordan was defeated ten minutes into his second attempt to win the Speakership—before the roll call had even completed the letter E—thanks to five Republican defections.

This is an even greater humiliation for the Ohio Republican Congressman and appears to align with the proclamation from his colleague Ken Buck that Jordan would lose more votes in round two than he’d lost in round one.

At the time of writing, the formal vote continues. Reportedly, Jordan will make a third attempt once this one concludes.

Other options remain available to the paralyzed House of Representatives:

Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries earned all of his caucus’s 212 votes yesterday and is expected to do so again. He has repeatedly invited Republicans to form a bipartisan coalition government with him. However, powerful right wing influences—from Jordan himself to Fox propagandist Sean Hannity—have publicly forbidden Republicans from availing themselves of that path.

Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin has publicly proposed nominating ex-Congresswoman Liz Cheney if Republicans won’t agree to partner with Jeffries. But despite her once-exalted status within the GOP—including a voting record which aligned with Donald Trump’s 93% of the time—Cheney’s public opposition to Trump and election denialism has perhaps made her too toxic for even the more moderate Republicans in Congress to publicly support.

Whether the GOP will avail themselves of these eminently more reasonable options remains to be seen.