Congratulations, House Speaker Mike Johnson

The newly reelected Republican House Speaker has cleared a major hurdle.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA), delivers opening remarks during a Congressional Gold Medal ceremony recognizing NASA’s Hidden Figures, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024, in Emancipation Hall at the U.S. Capitol in Washington. Congressional Gold Medals were awarded to Katherine Johnson, Dr. Christine Darden, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary W. Jackson in recognition of their service to the United States as well as a Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of all the women who served as computers, mathematicians, and engineers at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and NASA between the 1930s and 1970s. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

After a very short debate on Capitol Hill, House Speaker Mike Johnson was reelected House Speaker today.

It is a victory that has left progressive media outlets — who have been openly hoping for Republican Party failure and dysfunction —too deeply disappointed to constrain their despondency.

Johnson’s decisive victory puts pay to his many naysayers, including some Republicans, some of who have spent the past two news cycles decrying his leadership and swearing not to vote for him.

“I will not be voting for Mike Johnson tomorrow, and you can take that to the bank,” Rep. Thomas Massie promised hotly in a press conference ballyhooed far and wide by mainstream press outlets anxious to deride and undermine Mike Johnson.

Progressive media outlets have been reveling in the possibility that House Speaker Johnson might fail to clear the reelection hurdle.

“Mike Johnson is still fighting for his job because Donald Trump no longer has the juice,” giggled Heather Digby Parton for Salon prior to Johnson’s big win. “GOP civil war: House speaker vote is just the first of many tough battles for a GOP with only a razor-thin margin.”