US House speaker stalemate ends, Kevin McCarthy finally seals the deal

"Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters," said Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States.

Finally, the stalemate has ended after an agonising wait and lots of negotiations. The Republicans are elated, the US house was filled with roars of "USA, USA," Kevin McCarthy is the new House speaker who has survived brutal brawls for power. 

It took 15 rounds of voting and the last race to go this long was the 1859 contest. Those were the turbulent years before the civil war.

In the present day, the wrangling has left the Grand Old Party battered & the nation bruised. The unprecedented chaos in the four days of House voting brought the world's oldest democracy to a grinding halt. It also gives a glimpse of the tumultuous times ahead.

The Republicans control the house, but most of McCarthy's opposition is from his own party. They are ultra-conservative, hard-right lawmakers who boast themselves to be members of the House Freedom Caucus. About 30 Republican lawmakers of the caucus,
are determined to drag the party further to the right, thereby deepening the chasm.

But for the man who is seizing the gavel and is second in line to the US presidency, the role could turn into a nightmare. And most of the heartburn is going to come from his own rank & file because the caucus strongly rejects his leadership.

Speaking to Wion, Jon-Christopher Bua, US political analyst & White House commentator says,"McCarthy has got a title but no power. He has succumbed to the very extreme right-wing who despise him. So, we are left with an unmanageable house."

In the end, the 57-year-old Californian emerges as a weakened speaker, one with less authority on paper than those before him. Speaking to Wion, Stephen Golub, author and political analyst said, "The drama reflects that Kevin McCarthy is going to be one of the most, if not the weakest speakers in the US history because his margin is so small, that he had to sell his soul to the very far-right Republicans."

McCarthy has shrugged off suggestions that the deal could weaken his power. But he was profuse in thanking one man, Donald Trump, who was sitting miles away from the scene of chaos but still managed to pull the strings. With his party having the majority, it should have been a low-hanging fruit. But his pleas for backing McCarthy seemingly fell on deaf ears. Trump's hold is seemingly shrinking & his hopes of a re-run for the top job once again in 2024 look in complete disarray.

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