House Republicans’ inability to agree on a speaker has been blamed on the convergence of several factors: a narrow majority, the presence of some members who might very charitably be described as eccentrics, and the Freedom Caucus, which bills itself as more-principled-than-the-rest conservatives. But the leadership void is also being caused by the fact that the Republican Party has trouble deciding what it wants. And that is because the party’s ideology no longer produces conviction, even as members of Congress compete to claim the mantle of conservative purity.

It may sound counterintuitive to lament a lack of ideology in today’s GOP, but consider the Democrats. Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) last speakership coincided with a bare Democratic majority as well. The party had 222 seats. And Pelosi had to deal with her own radicals, the “Squad,” along with a bigger group of left-wing members called the Congressional Progressive Caucus. But Pelosi didn’t face a bizarre coup. That wasn’t because the Squad lacked for ideology or ill temper. It was because, at this moment, Democrats have more in common than Republicans do, and Democrats have a stronger belief in their agenda than do Republicans. That makes it easier for Republican politicians to put television hits above the good of the party and the country.