The question is answered in the first three words. “I’m a Republican” = YTA.
The democrats are not to blame. They have been consistent throughout. They didn’t want McCarthy back in January and they didn’t want him three weeks ago. The GOP filed the motion to vacate, forcing the democrats to answer honestly: Nope, We Still Don’t Want Him. At any time it would have taken about five republicans, fewer than half the number of republicans (and only republicans) that held the chamber hostage for three weeks, to cross the aisle and elect Hakeem Jeffries. If anyone thinks the D bear responsibility, they must admit the GOP bears tenfold.
And if they didn’t want Hakeem Jeffries specifically, they could have bargained for someone else. If they were in the mood to cross the aisle, they would be holding all the cards.
There are a few moderate Republicans and yes they could have gone across the aisle, but they would never let Jeffries become Speaker. That was never an option on the table and it would have created a very dysfunctional House. After all, Committees would still be run by the Majority and it just wouldn’t be possible to run the House that way. Too many logistical challenges and broken norms to make it work. What they would have done had moderate Republicans reached across the aisle is to elect a Republican speaker with several concessions that would ensure Democratic legislation could stand a chance of getting out of Committee and onto the Floor for a vote. That price was apparently too high as well, since 100% of Republicans voted for Mike Johnson.
Blaming Democrats is outright idiotic. Republicans have a majority, and offer no compromise for Democrats to vote for.
YTA. It is just unreasonable to expect a party to vote for the opposing party’s Speaker, and if a Speaker can’t get enough votes to save themselves, they aren’t about to lead an effective coalition.
The option was already dysfunction vs a different kind of dysfunction because of the Republicans who turned against their own Speaker. They would either get a Speaker they approved of or they would bring the House to a standstill. They had already taken to blocking all House business under McCarthy. You just have to blame the dysfunction on them.
AITA: I’m a Republican
YTA
A vote for a Republican is a vote for misogyny, bigotry, racism, authoritarianism, and class warfare on the side of the rich and powerful. There isn’t a single Republican leader looking to move the nation forward, only backward to preserve the privileges they’re losing.
If you know this and you vote for them anyway, you’re an asshole. If you didn’t know this and were just voting for them because that’s how you were raised, here’s your opportunity to not be an asshole.
Or just outside the US. In the Netherlands, a republican is someone who wants to abolish the monarchy and start a true republic.
I think having a king is idiotic, but I can’t use the actual term for that, thanks to several tens of millions of assholes in America who equated the word with authoritarianism and racism.
What has the Republican Party ever done for you to earn your vote?