The United States is often said to have a two-party system. This is true until it isn’t. In reality, the Democratic and Republican parties consist of disparate factions that agree on most things, disagree on some things, and are generally willing to put their differences aside for electoral purposes. In theory, both parties have leaders who are tasked with managing these internal tensions.Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy failed in that task on Tuesday. Eight disaffected Republican lawmakers,
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Rep. Patrick McHenry, a McCarthy ally, is now the acting speaker. There’s no precedent to govern what happens next, and House Republicans are preparing for a conference meeting at 6:45 p.m. as we write.