Sometime this afternoon, Rep. Jim Jordan (R–Ohio) might be elected the next Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Or he might not. Honestly, it's impossible to tell right now.
If he does—and, actually, even if he doesn't—it will be a fitting culmination for the current era of conservative politics in Washington: An era defined not by lawmakers with big ideas and impressive policy accomplishments, but much of the opposite. As long as the Republican Party is a policy-free zone, Jordan might as well be the guy in charge.
