Should House Democrats Have Saved McCarthy's Speakership?

House Democrats voted in favor of removing Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) from the speaker position Tuesday, joining eight Republicans to achieve a majority. How much responsibility for the ousting falls on Democratic lawmakers?

“Fanning the Flames”: Matt Lewis (Center bias) wrote that he “can’t blame” Democrats for McCarthy’s ousting, but Democratic lawmakers still “failed to do the right thing on behalf of the American people.” Lewis lists the numerous reasons why Democrats would not be inclined to save McCarthy’s position. Despite these reasons, Lewis determines Democrats “prioritized partisanship and ‘tradition’ over doing the right thing.” Lewis concludes, “Democrats didn’t start this fire, but it sure as hell feels like they are fanning the flames instead of smothering it. Doesn’t America deserve at least one adult party?”

Expected Consequences: Responding to reports that Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)and other Democrats were ordered to vacate their offices shortly after the vote, Noah Rothman (Lean Right bias) asked, “why wouldn’t Democrats expect that there would be consequences for their conduct?” Rothman wrote that Democrats “voted in lockstep with a faction of the conference that a majority of the majority desperately wants to punish,” and that, “This is what Democrats voted for.”

“GOP Rebellion”: A Washington Post (Lean Left bias) analysis broke down the growing animosity between McCarthy and House Democrats that culminated in Democrats voting to oust him. After months of fighting, the writer states, McCarthy asked Democrats “for help putting out the fire of an internal GOP rebellion that he helped start.”