Agreed, for most Democrats, McCarthy is a untrustworthy and incompetent opportunist who deserves to be punished for his willingness to encourage/support the denigration of our constitutional republic.
Scalise and Stefanik are of the same ilk. That really is the problem with the Republican caucus: they have no leadership with any character, principle or integrity left. They have all retired, been driven off or voted out and there were not that many to begin with due to moral and ethical erosion over decades.
The majority is not going to allow one of these traitors to be Speaker and these traitors will not allow McCarthy or any of the current leadership "establishment rino" group be Speaker. How that dam breaks is unknown, but the only side in that battle that cares about anything is the leadership so I expect McCarthy to stand aside before the traitor group will blink. The traitors have nothing to lose. Their voters support this stance.
Once that happens, the traitors will have won a significant victory and, at the very least, get more concessions and fund raise like mad. They can go on Fox, OAN, Newsmax, Bannon's show etc. and continue to raise their MAGA profile.