U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., on Thursday dropped out of the race for speaker of the House to replace Rep. John Boehner.• Quotes:"The hostility of the divisions with the House Republican Conference led Kevin McCarthy to abandon his attempt to succeed to the speakership. McCarthy may have calculated that he could not win a floor vote at the end of October, or he may have concluded that the consequences of the upcoming fight would have fatally undermined his ability to lead,” says David Rohde, a professor of political science at Duke University.“Whoever comes forward to seek the top job in the House will face the same problems that John Boehner and McCarthy faced, and there is no clear or even plausible path to dealing effectively with them.”• Bio:David Rohde is a professor of political science and director of the Political Institutions and Public Choice Program, Duke University. He specializes in American politics, including campaigns and elections, and legislative politics. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, author of "Parties and Leaders in the Post-Reform House" and co-author of a series of books on every national election since 1980.http://polisci.duke.edu/people?Gurl=&Uil=4159&subpage=profile • Archive video interview (different subject):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMptMoOPRf0• For more comment, contact David Rohde at:rohde@duke.edu
