system
A chat on subreddit /r/NoStupidQuestions
human
&gt;And the Democrats are just sitting back laughing at them.

In a way yes, but for OP's sake we should say that technically the Democrats are all voting for one of their own. That's why there aren't enough votes to get McCarthy elected even though most Republicans want him. 

McCarthy has been making deals and pretty soon he'll have to start promising stuff to some of the Democrats to get them to cross over and give him enough votes to win.
gpt
I REALLY hope the Dems don't budge and either force a new candidate, get enough republicans to back their person and form more or less a coalition government, or (my personal favorite but least likely to happen) trap the house into a two year long cycle of voting for but never electing a speaker