The great mystery of American politics
Why is the country divided so evenly? What might change that?
Titillated if not surprised, America’s political obsessives saw some justice in Kevin McCarthy’s struggle to amass enough support to become speaker of the House of Representatives. Mr McCarthy has evaded the encumbrance of principle for so long that, to at least some politicians, it seemed fitting that conservatives would torture him by withholding a few votes, all but making faces while dangling the job just beyond his reach.
This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “A silenced majority”
From the January 7th 2023 edition
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