Mike Johnson May Have Been the Best Speaker Choice After All

by Roger L. Simon

The cliché about everything happening for a reason is a bit questionable right now considering Hamas’s unbelievable barbarism in Israel, but it does begin to make at least some recovery with Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) being elected Speaker of the House.

The weeks that were dubbed “chaos” by virtually the entire media, including many on the right, may have come to the best of all possible conclusions.

Whatever the case, we must make sure to hail any good news in our world where it’s so sparse, especially since it’s so sparse.

It’s almost like nurturing a tiny flower in a hurricane.

If it is correct, as Mr. Johnson said himself in his opening speech, that “God is the one that raises up those in authority,” then something of great importance is happening here. We shall see.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) has said that Mr. Johnson’s elevation demonstrated the MAGA wing is in the ascendancy in the Republican Party, and that would seem to be true since the Louisiana congressman defended then-President Donald Trump in his impeachment trials.

Not to brag, but my wife and I have always been fans of Mr. Johnson from his well-phrased appearances on cable, and it had been our thought from the beginning of this supposed “chaos”—that actually might have been democracy in action as it should be—that he would be a good or even the best choice.

Listening to that initial speech, it didn’t feel as if we had made a mistake.

It was even better by comparison to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’s recitation of the most cliché-ridden Democratic Party talking points in his speech that preceded Mr. Johnson.

I’m not by nature a “party person” and dislike many things about the Republican Party—I see some truth in the hoary “evil party and stupid party,” speaking of cliches—but the lockstep behavior of the Democrats these days has started to resemble the behavior of the old Supreme Soviet or today’s National People’s Congress in China.

The Democrats rejoice in their unanimity that includes people of the most anti-American and anti-democratic sentiments.

Apropos of Mr. Johnson, one of the things I most like about him is that he isn’t an Ivy Leaguer, as are so many of our leaders, but twice a graduate of Louisiana State University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a Juris Doctor.

I don’t have to go on at length about the problems caused to us lately by the Ivy League or similar so-called elite institutions. Suffice it to say, they haven’t created “clarity of mind.” They’re more like institutes of advanced “wokeism” and Islamofascist studies.

Something’s wrong, obviously.

Neither Mr. Johnson, nor any Speaker of the House, or even a president, is going to be able to fix it by themselves.

We’re going through a period of massive social correction—at least, I hope we are. Either that or we’re going the way of the Romans.

Nevertheless, I’m heartened by Mr. Johnson’s remarks near the end of his speech: “Let the enemies of freedom around the world hear us loud and clear—the People’s House is back in business!”

Great words, but as we all know, they must be translated into action, and that won’t be easy.

For now, we should all give him our support as possible. But in those immortal words, “trust but verify.” They’re true for all of us.

First published in the Epoch Times.