Letters to the Editor: Plenty of us in Bakersfield are glad to see Kevin McCarthy go

To the editor: Not everyone here in Bakersfield is upset by Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s fall from grace. Many of us believe that the Bakersfield Republican and former House speaker has never done much for his constituents, as he has long been focused on raising money for other Republicans to get elected.

What many Kern County residents bemoan is his lack of backbone. He has chosen for years to go along rather than lead. For one brief moment, he stood up to Donald Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, but then he quickly made that infamous trip to Mar-a-Lago to make up with the former president.

“Spineless” is often heard to describe his character. McCarthy made so many promises to so many people, and the inevitable finally happened.

Still, it amazes me that the votes of eight Republicans could oust him from the speakership. Who will lead the House after McCarthy is a real worry for our government, for Ukraine aid and, indeed, for democracy itself.

Governing according to the whims of a few unhinged members of the House is not exactly democracy in action.

Debra Matheney, Bakersfield

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To the editor: In McCarthy, at least the Democrats had a speaker who worked to prevent a government shutdown.

They should have voted to save his speakership. How unsavvy of them not to recognize the strategic advantage they would have gained from keeping McCarthy in power.

Now, instead of being in a position of leverage, the Democrats are left to deal with the whims of a new Republican speaker, over whom they have no sway whatsoever.

David Ehler, Santa Barbara

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To the editor: I was glad to read that Bakersfield Republicans were lashing out at Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) for ousting their local representative as speaker of the House. I agree with everything they said about Gaetz.

But then I realized most of these same Republicans will probably vote for Donald Trump to be president.

Trump is an accused serial criminal who reportedly refused to be seen next to war heroes because they were amputees. He makes Gaetz look like a choirboy.

I grew up in rural America in the 1950s. Most adults around me were conservative, but they weren’t stupid. What happened?

Roger Geisler, Rancho Cucamonga

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To the editor: I wonder how many Republicans would be elected if they, when running for office, were to tell their constituents that if elected, they would shut the government down and try to wield absolute power.

Anastacio Vigil, Santa Monica

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To the editor: Columnist Jonah Goldberg’s “modest solution” — to choose the House speaker by secret ballot — surprises me, as it is posed by a conservative pundit.

How about combining that fix with a not-so-modest solution, one that would eliminate the secrecy that has proven far more devastating to our democracy?

To wit: Eliminate the secrecy accorded deep-pocket donors who fund pliant money-grubbing politicians that do their bidding.

Depriving unprincipled politicians of the dark-money support that keeps them under billionaires’ thumbs should be a top priority.

M. Edward Alston, Santa Monica