A few days ago, I predicted the new Speaker would be someone with a skimpy enough record to pass muster with the entire House GOP. I was right. By all accounts, Johnson is a kind of genteel reactionary, which gives hope to both sides.
Will he govern like McCarthy–making lots of promises to everyone, providing drama for the right, but making deals with Democrats when the chips are down? Or will he be a chaos agent, driving the GOP into shutdowns in an effort to make government by a right-wing strongman more appealing?
Nobody, including me, knows the answer to those questions. That’s why he won the election.