EDITORIAL: Johnson has been a steady hand in the speaker role

A classic bit from the Monty Python Olympics was the “100-yard dash for people with no sense of direction.” When the starter pistol sounds, the eight participants burst from the blocks and head every which way except down the track toward the finish line.

It’s an apt metaphor for Republicans as they attempt Friday to elect a speaker of the House. Can they stay on course, or will pointless chaos ensue?

At this point, there is only one candidate for the job: the current speaker, Mike Johnson. But recall that he was elevated to the post two years ago only after four days of negotiations and 15 votes. Similar forces are again working to undermine his bid. That’s unfortunate. It would be a mistake to once again drag out the process.

Mr. Johnson has little margin for error. The GOP advantage in the lower chamber is only 219-215 — the seat of former GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz remains open — meaning he can afford to lose only one Republican vote without Democratic support. Yet several spending hawks in the GOP caucus have expressed frustration with Mr. Johnson. That’s democracy at work. But the holdouts need to ask themselves what they truly hope to accomplish.

Fighting government inefficiency and attacking our unsustainable national debt are noble goals. But by undercutting Mr. Johnson, these backbenchers demand the perfect at the expense of the good. In doing so, they empower House Democrats, who have no interest in any of their objectives.

Mr. Johnson’s apparent sin is that he has at times resorted to compromising across the aisle to get things done. But ideological purity is a luxury in politics today, particularly when Republicans have only the slimmest of majorities and also must consider the political realities of the Senate. The objective should be to show voters the value of Republican governance, leading to more substantive majorities that may then enact a more ambitious agenda.

Of equal concern, a prolonged battle could delay congressional certification of President-elect Donald Trump’s election victory — and his ability to move quickly on his agenda following his inauguration.

Mr. Trump this week endorsed Mr. Johnson as speaker, recognizing that he has been a solid and calm hand in a difficult situation. Close and contested contests for the speakership are nothing new in either party — both John Boehner (2015) and Nancy Pelosi (2021) earned the bare minimum of votes. But GOP House members tempted to grandstand by opposing Mr. Johnson should stop preening, come to grips with political reality and keep their sights on the tasks ahead.