On Wednesday, October 25, House Republicans ended weeks of stalemate on who was to replace Kevin McCarthy as Speaker by electing Mike Johnson of Louisiana to the role. A relative unknown prior to his elevation to Speaker, Congressman Johnson is now under intense scrutiny as Republicans attempt to course correct the recent stretch of chaos and uncertainty. Chief among the tasks Johnson will need to solve is how to bridge the divide that has become apparent amongst different factions of the Republican party.
There are now three vectors by which Republicans can be evaluated: 1) Alignment with traditional conservative principles such as fiscal responsibility, rule of law, individual freedom, and defense of the Constitution; 2) Alignment with “MAGA” Republican principles such as border security, election integrity, reduction of spending, reducing/staying out of international conflict, opposition to the weaponization of justice, and pushing back on leftist cultural agenda items like DEI and gender issues; and 3) Personal track record and how that might impact one’s ability to accomplish or advocate for priorities in buckets 1 and 2.
Congressman Johnson would appear to score highly on buckets 1 and 2. He has openly advocated for what he describes as the “core principles of American conservatism”, which he says are “individual freedom, limited government, the rule of law, peace through strength, fiscal responsibility, free markets, and human dignity.” Johnson suggests that adherence to these principles will avoid the US being “led down a path toward European-style socialism”.
Johnson also was an open critic of the 2020 election, arguing that changes to election procedures in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin were unconstitutional because they were done without the approval of state legislatures. Johnson argued that the election results should not have been certified without a proper review of those changes, whether they were in fact legal, and what the implications of those changes were.
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| Speaker of the House Mike Johnson. File Photo |
While Johnson’s conservative priorities fit nicely with both traditional and MAGA Republicans, the question for anyone in leadership right now is whether they possess the personal resume to navigate a media and political minefield that permits a successful outcome. This is where an individual’s personal track record has so often tripped up politicians who face a weaponized media apparatus intent on disrupting any conservative objective.
Already in his first week, Johnson’s views on a variety of cultural issues have been turned against him. Aside from his views on the 2020, election, Johnson is a Southern Christian whose faith appears to be a guiding force in his life. This week he was quoted as saying “As a Christian, we believe the Bible teaches us very clearly that we’re to stand with Israel.” He has strongly opposed access to abortion in Louisiana. He has condemned homosexuality and opposed gay marriage. He has been an open opponent of LGBTQ+ views. Irrespective of what one thinks about these issues, these views are not presently in the mainstream, and his positions on them will make it less likely that he will be able to achieve other parts of his conservative agenda. The simple playbook from the Democrats and the media is to reject and denounce Johnson as a radical who can not be trusted or worked with, and this makes Johnson’s path more difficult for sure.
Congressman Johnson has the conservative bonafides to lead the Republican caucus, and he appears to be pointed in a direction most Republican voters will embrace. The question will be whether the media and the Democrats will provide him the room to lead.