The final vote was 60-45, and Schexnayder managed to win over Rep. Sherman Mack despite losing the vote among the 68 Republicans by a 45-23 margin.

How? Because both independents and all 35 Democrats, whipped by Gov. John Bel Edwards, got behind Schexnayder and pulled off a coup conservatives had been warning about for weeks.

Nobody really thought this was going to happen. It was just a worst-case scenario pains needed to be taken to avoid.

And yet, it happened anyway. Why? Because this is Louisiana, and no matter how loudly this state is warned about bad outcomes, they find a way to become reality.

Schexnayder, in his acceptance speech, echoed something Rep. Stuart Bishop, who nominated him, howled about – which was to keep outside, “special” interests from influencing the leadership at the Capitol. Which is complete and total garbage, and a terrible idea. Essentially, what Bishop is saying, and Schexnayder is his proxy as Speaker, is that now that the people of Louisiana have elected the House, we’re supposed to just sit back and let them operate however the hell they please.

Which gives us the RINO Tanner Magee as the Speaker Pro Tem, which happened without opposition once Schexnayder won the Speaker’s race.

Like for example when Bishop cuts a deal with Pat Smith to let felons vote before they’ve finished their sentences. That’s what you get when the “special” interests are cut out of the process and not allowed within the rails of the House.

The upshot of this is there are 68 out of 105 elected Republicans in the House, and yet the conservative majority in the state still won’t hold sway.

John Bel Edwards gets reinaugurated for a second term, and now he owns the House of Representatives like he did the Senate in his first term. Like he would have had in his first term had he not been stupid enough to demand the House elect a Democrat as Speaker of a Republican House.

Unless Schexnayder and Bishop surprise us, that is, which we doubt will happen. After all, we’re used to getting the worst possible results from the Louisiana legislature – as we did today.