An article in the latest Newsweek, “The Necessary Man,” makes a case in favor of elevating House Minority Leader John Boehner to the speaker’s office next year, as opposed to Republican alternatives with more consistent support from conservatives:
The funny thing about all the anti-Boehner ferment, however, is that the Ohioan?s critics may soon come to consider him irreplaceable. In truth, Boehner is one of the few players in American politics with the potential to give both Republicans and Democrats what they need in the wake of November?s anticipated GOP landslide. For the left, that means an experienced legislative negotiator on the opposite side of the aisle. For the right, it means a leader who can rack up tangible accomplishments for the party to run on in 2012?while also keeping the new, red-meat caucus from eating him alive.
Note the tone: Writers Andrew Romano and Daniel Stone are not focusing on whether Republicans are likely to take over the House. Instead they’re dissecting who’s likely to “measure the drapes” in the speaker’s office once voters have spoken.
