With John Boehner stepping down, the race for his replacement is in full swing.  Kevin McCarthy was the odds-on favorite a week ago, then he all but imploded with a stupid remark about Hillary Clinton and the Benghazi Select Committee.

Everybody thought Hillary Clinton was unbeatable, right? But we put together a Benghazi special committee, a select committee. What are her numbers today? Her numbers are dropping. Why? Because she's untrustable. But no one would have known any of that had happened, had we not fought.

While one might give McCarthy latitude that he would likely have chosen different phrasing had he the opportunity to do the interview again, if he desires the top spot in the House of Representatives, these types of blunders cannot occur.  Hillary and her media acolytes are having a field day chopping up McCarthy, the Select Committee, and more broadly Republicans.

Aside from not fighting for Republican interests, this was one of Boehner's biggest weaknesses – his inability to inspire Republicans in his caucus specifically and Republican voters across the country generally.  I don't recall ever thinking, "Man, that's something that I must get behind my speaker on."  Or, on the off-chance that I did invest time and energy to support his/our cause, I was surely disappointed (but sadly not surprised) when he raised the white flag and capitulated to whatever it was that the Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, or Barack Obama wanted him to do.

McCarthy's slide is a good thing.  It has opened the door for others to be presented the opportunity to "earn the spot."  And therein lies my recommendation – Speaker Tryouts.  You want the job?  Earn it!

We should define the skills that we desire the next speaker to possess.  Speaking ability.  Knowledge of the Constitution, and specifically rules of the House.  Conservative-leaning.  Leadership.  Willingness to fight.  Et cetera.  My list is not exhaustive, and I encourage thoughtful posters to add, delete, or edit as necessary.

Let the interested candidates pick one, two, or more issues, craft his/her strategy for victory, rally a few loyal adherents, and charge to the front.  Like field generals, each one could "go to battle" with the full force of the Republican Party (and the conservative movement) behind him.  Set a timeline for candidate selection – say 3-4 months – allowing time for success, as well as creating a sense of urgency for someone (or a couple of them) to show what they've got.

The Iran Deal, gun control, Planned Parenthood, 2016 budget, Benghazi, IRS scandal, Obamacare, illegal immigration, Syria, Russia, etc.  Could you imagine one of our best representatives leading the charge to win a battle, or a few, as though his life (or speakership) depended on it?

There is nothing that sharpens the senses more than making the decision to go to battle.  Don't pre-select a dog-food candidate and tell me that he's filet mignon.  Want my support?  Earn it.