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For those of us who see John Boehner not being enough of a pro-reform break from the GOP's tainted past, here are some words of comfort from my DC lawyer/lobbyist friend:

Boehner 168, Pence 27, Barton 1. No totals yet on Blunt win.

What's this mean? Members want experience and Shadegg didn't work it hard enough. Resist the easy instinct to think it "sends a message" or is insufficiently reform-oriented. The problem is that Blunt is viewed as having screwed up the Vietnam free trade vote but Shadegg is viewed as having zero whipping skills – hence, his promise to keep Blunt’s deputy Eric Cantor (R-VA) if he beat Blunt.

The Whip has been involved in legislatures since early in their history. The term comes from England, borrowed from the "Whipper-in," a special rider who kept the dogs in line by riding behind. Policy is determined by those who win, not by those whose policy pronouncements are said to be "better."

As Winston Churchill said, Democracy is the worse form of government, except for all the others.

Not sure I agree on Boehner. Economy policy-wise, he believes all the right things. But he goes along to get along, and that attitude might have played into the culture of corruption and spending that cost the GOP the last election. Mike Pence is more a conservative ideologue. Maybe not pragmatic enough to have led a majority, but why not just the man to lead a minority? Who needs a minority to "get things done"? The job of the opposition is just to be very clear and consistent in its ideology, if only with respect to that which it opposes. Can Boehner do that better than Pence would have? We'll have to see.

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