The most underestimated person in Washington, D.C. once again pulled off what the media and Beltway prognosticators said was impossible. In doing so, he further exposed Democrats as a party in complete disarray, blinded by their hatred of President Trump.
With a government funding deadline looming, and the slimmest of majorities, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Trump pushed through a six-month spending bill to avert a partial government shutdown.
In a solid lesson of political gamesmanship, Johnson gave them the ole “triple dog dare” from the famous scene from the movie “A Christmas Story,” where an anxious Flick is dared to stick his tongue to a frozen flag pole.
In this case, after passing the bill, the Speaker immediately sent members home for a two-week recess, daring Senate Democrats to let the government shut down.
Keeping our federal government open should have been a much easier decision for Senate Democrats than the intense back-and-forths that 9-year-olds face on the playground. But it turns out, not so much.
Because at this juncture, shutting down our government versus giving Trump any kind of victory is the ultimate Hobson’s Choice for Democrats.
In one fell swoop, Democrats who spent years lecturing Republicans on the necessity of keeping government open whatever the cost declared that Trump, the man 77 million voters just elected to be president, is so bad they must now shut it all down.
Yet they could not outline what they wanted or would do if they did shut down the government.
From screams in private meetings to a complete meltdown over Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) declaring he would (gasp!) vote with Republicans to advance the spending bill, Democrats’ doom loop seemingly knows no end.
Following the president’s lead, Johnson continues taking advantage of a Democratic Party living with a pre-Nov. 5 mindset.
House bills popular with the public, such as tougher penalties for illegal immigrants who commit crimes or banning biological males from playing in girls’ and women's sports, are forcing many Democrats to choose between their left-wing base and the 80 percent of voters who support these issues.
When it arrived in the Senate, 45 Democrats voted to block the bill banning boys from girls sports. That might explain why the Democratic Party is the most unpopular it has been at any point since at least 2008.
It’s not as if Johnson does it alone or bats 1.000. He’s got the full backing of the White House, which certainly helps in those crunch moments. But managing 200-some members in a slim majority requires a level of skill and leadership that Johnson rarely gets credit for inside the Beltway.
Analyzing the last 16 months of his speakership, some of those leadership traits are obvious.
He allows members to publicly share their concerns about big pieces of legislation, giving them room to breathe without strong pushback.
While some have argued he takes in too many opinions, hearing more as opposed to less makes sense and appears to be working, given this Republican caucus.
Today’s House GOP is a far cry from the days when former House Majority Leader Tom “The Hammer” DeLay (R-Texas) wielded a big stick.
Johnson is also quick to credit others when bills pass, particularly his leadership team — a trait not often found in politicians. This culminates in an ability to deliver Trump’s agenda.
It’s no surprise the president fought to keep him in the Speaker’s chair.
Johnson’s victories likely won’t earn him the headlines he deserves among the mainstream media, which will continue the hair-on-fire stories and the second-guessing of whether he can get such-and-such bill over the line.
There are many more fights ahead, but Johnson has so far risen to meet the moment.
And about that whole government funding thing? Johnson’s triple dog dare paid off — it turns out a few Democrats weren’t about to stick their tongue to the proverbial frozen flagpole.
Lance Trover served as spokesman for Doug Burgum's 2024 presidential campaign.
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