Kevin McCarthy ousted as speaker in Republican-led House

Sometimes I wish there was a way to designate some posts "off topic" but still be visible on the front page -- like a topical Jubilee Day. I'm genuinely interested in what some of the HN crowd think about (some of) the non-tech, non-intellectually-curious stuff that goes on in the world.

But I suspect that we'd all just turn out to be dopey ignoramuses, opining well beyond our knowledge, and the discussion would devolve into the same canned narrative crap that we see everywhere else.

HN probably has nothing to contribute to the discussion, and policing that line through downvotes and flagging is almost certainly the prophylaxis that keeps the infection at bay. Alas.

(btw, if you emailed recently, I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to answer yet - it's just the inbox doing its brutal thing. if that wasn't you, please ignore.)

But he didn't live up the bargain he struck with the Democrats either.

These were all choices that set the stage for this meltdown and loss, and now it's too late to both win AND persevere.

There is too much polarization and utopian-adjacent extremists in the US political system at present.

It would take some careful thought how to improve on what the founders could not anticipate, but the current system needs a check & balance on all 3 of POTUS, COTUS, and SCOTUS to replace an unfit-for-office official.

One possibility: Perhaps a 4th branch of government with appointed-for-life by sortition panel of elders who are a safety net "board of directors" whose only function is removal of a particularly unfit elected official by unanimous vote. Their only qualifications for candidacy is that they must be of unreproachable integrity, be at least 45, have no political ties, hold no other office, and have no financial conflicts of interest. A removed elected official would be replaced according to the succession plan for their role, a special election.

Another, more radical possibility: Do away with all political parties, unlimited dark money campaign financing, and populist voting of media celebrities. Instead, fill the highest elected offices by sortition of credentialed professionals for a single 2 year term. Instead of political parties, coalitions would form around positions on issues (more nuanced than parliamentary coalition governments). COTUS and POTUS would still exist, but they would be reduced to organizational administrators who don't need to pander to billionaires. While it takes away the illusion of a sacred freedom, it replaces it with the leadership of uncorrupted, educated people who aren't constantly seeking the approval of campaign donors.

Biden seems to be dull but moderately effective. He's had no great legislative triumphs, but that's no surprise. The few things he's tried to do dramatically, like student loan forgiveness, have been slapped down by the Supreme Court -- again, no surprise. His son appears to be a real jackass, but only after you factor out vast amounts of outright lies.

He's successfully supported the war in Ukraine, kept inflation and gas prices from getting all that much worse, oversaw the pandemic and transition out of it. Not thrilling, but competent. And yet his approval levels are worse than those of a guy who is literally under indictment for, among other things, mishandling vast amounts of classified material.

Is there something I'm missing? Or do people just want something that the President can't, and shouldn't, do?