State Rep. McClinton can no more declare herself speaker than Trump can declare himself president

Democrats would have a lot more credibility accusing former President Donald Trump of undermining democratic norms and the rule of law if they weren’t now busy doing it themselves.

Despite two years of bemoaning Republicans for “threatening democracy,” Pennsylvania Democrats might as well have terminated the state constitution themselves earlier this month when they launched a “paperwork insurrection” at the state Capitol by declaring themselves in the majority — despite Republicans holding two more seats in the state House of Representatives, effectively putting them in power.

If you’re feeling confused, you’re not alone. The fact that Democrats are trying to steal a majority by simply stating it to be true is so ludicrous that it’s difficult to comprehend.

How did this happen? In the November election, Democrats won 102 House seats, taking the majority needed to elect the speaker of the House. But one Democratic state representative whose name was on the ballot died before Election Day. Two others (Summer Lee and Austin Davis) were elected to higher offices — despite simultaneously campaigning for down-ballot races — and resigned, effective immediately.

The result? Republicans have a 101-99 majority.

Special elections for the open seats, all in Allegheny County (Districts 32, 34, and 35), are scheduled for February, and given the voter breakdown in those districts, it’s not improbable to assume that Democrats would retain them. But the Nov. 8 election results and ensuing resignations made one thing clear: For the time being, Republicans hold the majority.

You don’t need to be a mathematician to understand that 101 is greater than 99.

Instead of respecting state law, which says only a majority leader can call special elections in absence of an elected speaker, Democratic State Rep. Joanna E. McClinton was sworn in and declared herself the majority leader and acting speaker of the House — this despite even the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau issuing a legal opinion on Dec. 7 that Democrats do not have the majority.

Threats to our nation’s and state’s rule of law can come from anyone — regardless of political party — grabbing for power. State Rep. McClinton can no more declare herself speaker than Trump can declare himself president by wiping out the U.S. Constitution. There is no difference in their dangerous acts.

So, is the action of McClinton simply delusional, or is it a more calculated power move? The facts point to the latter.

During a two-year legislative session, it is normal for a handful of lawmakers to retire, resign to take other jobs, switch parties, resign because of a criminal conviction, or die. This changes the composition of the legislature — and can change which party is in the majority. Majority control isn’t etched into stone based on who won more seats in the last general election — rather, it’s based on the number of living, present, and eligible lawmakers and how they vote.

Our system of government relies on one person, one vote — both in elections and in elected bodies. In legislative bodies, that means the majority rules — except in cases when it requires a supermajority. The minority can’t dictate the rules, and one person cannot declare themselves in charge. It takes an actual voting majority to elect a speaker, to pass legislation, or to have a quorum to do business.

“The minority can’t dictate the rules, and one person cannot declare themselves in charge.”

Pennsylvania Democrats do not have that majority. State Rep. McClinton declaring herself speaker is as much of a joke as the Twitter accounts parodying the acting speaker.

Pennsylvania Democrats would be wise to remember the lessons Republicans learned the hard way in November. They paid the price for Trump’s desperate claims that he should be in power, no matter what the election results said.

And voters don’t take well to power grabs. While “threats to democracy” was widely considered an important issue for voters in this past election, that phrase carries different meanings to different people. Largely, it meant that voters don’t trust politicians from either party. A New York Times/Siena poll found that “government corruption” was what voters linked most often to threats to democracy.

There is no government act more corrupt than seizing power.