So, as I type these words, I am watching the news coverage of the seventh failed vote in the U.S. House of Representatives to select a speaker of the House. As a former political science professor who specialized in American national government, it is a fascinating thing to see. For the first time in 100 years, the political party that won a majority in the House has been unable to pick a leader on the very first ballot, let alone the seventh or eighth.

Now, I admit, as a pretty partisan guy, I take some pleasure in the Republicans’ ongoing demonstration that their party can’t actually govern. Oh, they can spout crazy ideas and talk about “taking back America,” and such. But a review of the last few GOP-led Houses suggests they fully embrace the old joke that “Republicans run for office asserting that government cannot work, and once elected, go about proving that axiom to be true.”

I suspect most Americans are like my students at the Air Force Academy, in that they know the basics of representation, and that there is a House and a Senate, but they are not necessarily fully informed on the importance of the speaker role itself. Pick up most any textbook on American governance and you will likely see the speaker referred to as the second-most powerful person, after the president, in our system.

The speaker is vital to how our legislative branch works or does not work. The speaker gets to decide who gets on what committees (and who chairs said committees) and perhaps most importantly, controls the flow of legislation. He or she decides what bills get to the floor for a vote, and under what conditions. I’ll avoid the temptation of writing a few thousand words on the role of the Rules Committee and the speaker’s work with that committee (Editor: thank you), but suffice it to say, the speaker is really, really important.

Recall just a couple of years ago, when the Democrats needed to pick a speaker, the numbers of Dems and Republicans in the House was almost exactly the same as today’s numbers, albeit reversed. In that congress, with a tiny majority, the Democrats were able to elect Nancy Pelosi as speaker on the first ballot and got to work on legislation the very first day. In 2023, the GOP is already three days behind, and had to cancel classified briefings and set aside other things – like actually swearing in the new Congress – because they can’t get their house in order.

Interestingly, Colorado’s own U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, as noted in a recent CoPo story, has been playing an outsized role in the GOP chaos. She gave one of the speeches to nominate an anti-Kevin McCarthy candidate for speaker, and unlike others, chose to toss out a personal attack on McCarthy as part of her spiel.

Currently (and likely when you read this column initially), there are at least five “never McCarthy” GOPers in the House, of which Boebert is one. They are backing – allegedly out of great respect for his intellect and leadership abilities – a formerly obscure member named Byron Donalds, who has served a single term in the House – not exactly a level of experience traditionally associated with such a critically important position. Usually, you want someone with at least a few years experience to take on a job of massive importance and influence. You usually don’t have folks two weeks out of medical school do the heart transplant operations, you have a doctor with years of experience.

The Democrats have been remarkably unified. After Pelosi wisely stepped aside from Democratic party leadership, the Dems picked an entirely new and much younger leadership team. That is a huge step forward toward a better future, and I commend Pelosi for stepping aside. Now we have the youthful Hakeem Jeffries running things, and in ballot after ballot, all 212 Dems in the new congress have voted for him. As it takes 218 (a simple majority of the entire 435-member House) to become speaker, Jeffries is close but of course will not get any GOP votes. But the unity is impressive on the Dem’s side of the aisle.

Which is why I have a crazy idea…

I’m not entirely sure how far my tongue is in my cheek on this one, it’s definitely partly there, but I’m not entirely kidding either. Look, if the Dems have 212 votes that are disciplined and unified, how crazy of an idea would it be for the Dems to throw their votes to someone who would only need to gather just a half-dozen GOP votes to become speaker.

So, my idea is that the Dems toss their support and their 212 votes to: Lauren Boebert.

I know, I know, it’s a crazy idea. But the national GOP of today is not the national GOP of only a few years ago. Today it remains a collection of election deniers and far, far-right nutjobs. They cannot govern, because they see issues as absolute, and they turn to a certain former president for validation and guidance. Rather than help hide that dangerous and nutty side of the extreme GOP we see today, why not let the nation see what the GOP is really all about these days? And if they are willing to support another one-term member in Donalds, why not another in Boebert?

Given that the Dems hold the Senate, and we have a Dem president, the crazy, irrational, and likely oft-bigoted proposals that might pass a Boebert-led House wouldn’t go anywhere, but they would shine like a search light on the GOP crazies, letting the people know what the modern GOP is really all about. In modern America, the party that used to be the party of small government now wants to be able to decide on the most private and personal aspects of your private lives. The GOP of yesteryear was actually anti-Russia, and didn’t constantly praise a dictator like Vladimir Putin.

So, what do you say? Shall we give Speaker Boebert a chance to control what fiscal legislation gets passed? How about the debt ceiling? Aid to Ukraine? You get the idea.

I admit, I’m scaring myself a bit, but the poli sci professor part of me would find a Boebert speakership to be quite interesting.

It won’t happen, but gosh, it would be fun to watch.

Hal Bidlack is a retired professor of political science and a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who taught more than 17 years at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.