With the thirteenth ballot the next historical threshold of political ineptitude hits on the 22nd ballot. Here are the current five most ballots cast to reach a majority held position for Speaker of the House.
133 (1855)
63 (1849)
44 (1859)
22 (1819)
13+ (2023)
With as much Civil War rhetoric pushed out by Flynn’s digital soldiers, it is fitting that the Chaos Contingent within the GOP lumps it’s leadership with that of pre-Civil War politics where there were often three of four parties holding membership within Congress. In 1855 for instance, 83 Dems (which are today’s GOP) were the second largest party with the Oppositions (Whigs), 100, not even deciding on a party name until later becoming Republicans (which are today’s DNC). The third party, Americans had 51. Source.
Congresses like that with three major factions should have had harder times than what the current two-party system has. Prior to 1855’s record ballots, the House broke down like this in 1849, the year with the second most ballots. (108 Whigs)
Here was 1859’s.
And 1819 with 186 Federalists and 160 Democratic Republicans.
Here was how the tallies fell round 12.
This means one Dem and one Republican that did not vote of the 434 members (one deceased Democrat will result in a special election soon).
While it is extremely unlikely the impasse ends today, the only real question is how many ballots will they burn through before the blackmailers allow the House to go into recess.
And here was the 13th failure.