Why Republicans seem stuck in selecting a new House speaker

Republicans had a brief window of opportunity this week to regroup from the unprecedented ouster of U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and move forward to address a range of pressing issues with a new House leader and a new sense of resolve.

But already, that window appears to be closing fast.

After Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise won an internal speaker-nominating contest over Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan on Wednesday, the rest of the conference did not immediately move to support Mr. Scalise en masse, and an announced floor vote had to be scuttled. On Thursday night, Mr. Scalise withdrew from the race.

Whoever eventually prevails, the increasingly clear fractures in the party have raised questions