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A political scientist explains House speaker paralysis

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, speaks to the media after House Republicans met behind closed doors at the Capitol on Friday, during which they dropped Jordan as their nominee for House speaker. Associated Press

Political observers, most Americans and even members of Congress can't remember a battle for the post of speaker of the U.S. House as fraught as the one that began back in January and continues still, 10 months later.

On Jan. 7, California Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy finally became speaker after 15 rounds of voting. But on Oct. 3, he was ousted. On Oct. 17 and again on Oct. 18, Ohio Republican Jim Jordan came up short in two rounds of voting to replace McCarthy.

The reason it's so hard to recall a parallel is that there isn't one – at least not since the 1850s, which saw a fight over the speakership that took nearly two months and 133 rounds of voting.

Along with all manner of other inauspicious "firsts" in American politics over the last few years – a violent attempt to overturn a presidential election in the halls of Congress and a former president being indicted for the attempt, to name just two – the century-long tradition of House speakers being quickly and unanimously elected by their party has been similarly blown to pieces.

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