Jim Jordan’s pressure campaign backfired

Congressman Jim Jordan’s plan to win the House speakership failed.

Over the past few days, Jordan tried to pressure fellow Republicans into voting for him. He mounted an intense campaign over the weekend to whip up the vote and undermine support for Louisiana Republican Steve Scalise.

On Tuesday, he called for a roll call vote. Knowing that he wouldn’t win on round one, Jordan hoped to bully his opponents into a yes vote. As voters saw the roll call, he could then count on pressure mounting within the districts.

But momentum moved in the wrong direction. On Wednesday’s vote, fewer Republicans were willing to support him. And some expressed their anger with his tactics. Arkansas Republican Steve Womack decried the “attack, attack, attack” methods that Jordan has been using. “And it has not helped one iota,” Womack said, “