#TXLEGE: This Phelan thing just feels weird

"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world."
1 John 4:1

Apparently, Dade Phelan has majorities in both parties' caucuses to become speaker:

UPDATE: as of 12:33 - 57Rs and 49Ds in support of my candidacy for Speaker of the House! #txlege

— Dade Phelan (@DadePhelan) November 5, 2020

He's so confident that he's even announced his "transition team":

Excited to announce my dear friend and former boss, Tommy Williams, has agreed to chair my House Speaker transition team! Ready to organize the House! #txlege pic.twitter.com/CTxodF3Q6F

— Dade Phelan (@DadePhelan) November 5, 2020

Good for Phelan. We guess. But something about this just seems...off.

Usually, people who are confident they have the votes to become speaker act that way. Beating your chest about how "confident" you are suggest the opposite. But that's admittedly speculative.

PushJunction speculates further:

DADE PHELAN held a talk-at-the-press event yesterday where he announced the Speaker’s race is over. Shortly after the event, a couple of his colleagues issued public statements contradicting Phelan’s remarks.

The Phelan play is the Bonnen play, just less convincing.

At the press conference, Phelan was all by himself, didn’t take questions, and his announcement wasn’t accompanied by an outpouring of public support on social media like events to boost Bonnen.

Bottom Line: It's impossible to know what any of this means from the outside, but it's certainly odd.