It’s January, and the new House of Representatives has been seated, but the GOP can’t find a majority for the new Speaker. Countless votes are taken, but the extreme right-wing dissidents are dug in, so nothing changes. Finally, McCarthy reaches out to a handful of moderate Democrats, who agree to support him on one extremely important condition: he has to promise a vote on a clean bill lifting the debt ceiling even though the majority of his caucus won’t go along. McCarthy agrees, wins the election, and keeps his promise. A handful of GOP moderates votes to lift the debt ceiling, and a crisis is averted.
Do I really expect this to happen? Of course not, but hope springs eternal, particularly in a new year.