Paul Ryan says he isn’t running
Paul Ryan just made an announcement:
“I do not want, nor will I accept the nomination for our party,” Ryan said in an announcement at the Republican National Committee. “Count me out.”
…”So let me speak directly to the delegates on this,” Ryan said. “If no candidate has a majority on the first ballot, I believe you should only choose a person who has actually taken part in the primary.”
The Trump people have been putting out the idea that Cruz is a mere stalking horse for the GOP, which will double-cross him and put in someone like Ryan or Romney instead. This is supposed to make you vote for Trump because he’s the only real anti-establishment guy, and think that Cruz hasn’t got a chance despite the fact that he’s been piling up votes (and delegates) lately at a fast clip. Are Cruz’s delegates going to defect that easily and bow to the will of the establishment? It doesn’t seem likely, although Trump and his supporters would like you to think it is.
Ace has this to say on that:
I have to say that the “Vote for Trump or else the Establishment wins” scare tactic cuts less ice with me than it used to. That’s because, as bad as the Dreaded Establishment is, I have to compare them to the other threats to democracy and American conservatism that are also on the horizon, and a larger threat is a man I call Donald F. Trump.
Burning it all down looked better to me when I imagined the arsonist in question would be smart, well-put-together, and likely to have success in an election and in governance.
Now that I see Trump’s pathetically disorganized and inept campaign — and his utter inability to make any headway with people who aren’t already in his coalition — I see him as a sure disaster in an election, and an even surer disaster as a president, if by some dark miracle he should win. Somehow.
So the “boo-scare vote for Trump or the Establishment monster’s gonna gitcha” thing doesn’t really scare me.
It’s interesting that Ace has come to this outlook on things. Ace is one of my favorite bloggers, because he’s smart and funny in equal measure (not a common balance), as well as usually doing his homework. A while back he got on the “burn it down” wagon with a vengeance, and initially was a mild Trump-supporter (or, as he said, he was “Trump curious”). But over time Trump’s words and deeds seem to have alienated Ace to the point where—well, that quote said quite clearly what point he’s reached.
The response to Ryan’s statement has been, well…
Someone over in Ace’s comments quipped something to the effect of –
Ryan says he isn’t running.
20 conservative blogs speculate on what effect Ryan’s seizing of the nomination will have.
I’m reminded of much, much earlier in this nomination cycle when Romney repeatedly stated that he wasn’t running. And yet, people kept acting as if he was. People were ignoring the things that Romney was actually saying, and only listening to the rumors. I suspect that Ryan’s going to be in the same situation.
In any case, if I were in Ryan’s spot, I’d be inclined to ignore the temptation to run for the presidency. Ryan’s currently one of the most powerful men in the country. He’d be giving that up to gamble that he wouldn’t lose the presidential election.
The Trumpkin cultists have inundated his comment sections with vitriol, slime, and their usual conspiracies to such an extent that Ace has had to shut them down a few times.
I’m sure that behavior has helped form Ace’s views, just as it has formed mine. The followers that a movement attracts define it.
You can’t say that all Trump’s followers are thugs, but enough of them are that the rest won’t stand up to behavior they abhor. If there’s any decent people supporting the movement, you’d never know it from the dissent because there isn’t any.
Although I may expressed such sentiments in moments of extreme frustration, I was not serious; and I have never seen “burn it all down” as an intelligent strategy.
I would just point to Libya and Syria as recent examples of what is likely to happen when a void is created. Voids are not natural and do not last long. Then, it is seldom possible to predict with acceptable certainty what or who will follow. In human terms it is usually the best organized, not necessarily the same as the best intentioned. Unintended consequences; the bane of he activist class.
“The Establishment” has become the nebulous pejorative of choice. I seriously doubt that many who throw it about really know who they are talking about. I suspect that in many quarters, every one who comments on this blog would be considered a member.
Hmm, I’ve never read Ace, but maybe I should (although that would spoil my pattern in which the only blogs I read are those written by women with graduate degrees). I too was initially Trump-curious, even Trump-friendly, and thought he might make a decent president. But, although I know from personal knowledge (I’m in the New York real estate business myself) that Trump is capable of putting narcissistic bluster aside in his business when necessary, his campaign has continued to consist solely of narcissistic bluster well past the point where it could be helpful, leading me to believe that he doesn’t really have anything else to offer when it comes to politics.
Ace is one of my favorites also, but I rarely comment there because I can’t compete with the funny. Those commenters are way out of my league in the humor department.
Lest we forget, Trump is TOTALLY at sea should he attempt to FINANCE a Fall campaign.
He’s going to be buried by HRCGS’ $2,500,000,000.
Trump’s lead over Ted Cruz has virtually evaporated.
1) He can’t swing it on the first ballot.
2) By the second ballot the ground swell for Ted will be enough to throw him over the top.
Colorado, Arkansas, and South Carolina are the wave of the trend.
Trump is virtually a zero with party loyalists.
Something he forgot when he jumped in.
The nominee is picked by the delegates.
The president is picked by electors, or the House.
Paul didn’t really run for Speaker. After he got that job, he set an agenda to fix the legislative process: fewer omnibus bills that no one reads or understands; more committee debate; budgets submitted on time, etc. Akthough he has received lots of criticism for the last budget bill, he had no control over putting it together. He decided to get it off the table rather than making it the subject of another fight with Obama. Ryan wants something a lot better next year. I also think more specific and discussed bills will make it easier for voters to see what their reps voted for and why. If those reps do a bad job, it will be easier to challenge and replace the. Crony capitalism will become more visible to the voters.
Good, well reasoned post expat.
I agree with expat. I am not a fan of Ryan, I think his budget and deficit reduction plans are bad math hidden behind smoke and mirrors, but I think he knows he should avoid any draft movement at the convention. If he has the spine to hold the purse strings tightly, he is more powerful than the POTUS. I doubt he possesses the spine, but I am willing to see how he would operate with a President Cruz’s budget proposals.
I trust Ryan. I don’t sense any of that Newtish arrogance about him. He seems like someone who could go through the whole grind without getting messed up by it. Most can’t.
A bit off topic:
William Safire once wrote an extended analogy about a horse called Power. There were four possible riders. The first needed to ride the horse, and couldn’t handle it. That ride didn’t last long at all: the horse threw him quickly. The second couldn’t handle the horse, but didn’t need to ride him. The horse carried him a bit, and let him dismount; no hostility. The third rider had the skill to handle the horse, but he was needy. The horse let him ride, but never really trusted him. The fourth rider could handle the horse, and didn’t need him. That was the rider who became the horse’s master.
I think of the 2012 candidates in that way. Joe Biden needs power, but he’s a complete moron. He’ll never get power. Barack Obama can’t handle power either, but he doesn’t need it for the simple fact that he never believed the country was smart enough to elect him. His only virtue is his that he’s too proud to be vain. History is already forgetting him. Mitt Romney probably could have handled the job, but there was always this sense that he craved it too much. He seemed hollow – a natural with power, but too unsatisfied without it. I have a hunch that Paul Ryan can both handle the reins and walk away from them without remorse. He’s one to watch.
My ability to judge neediness among candidates may be a little off-kilter right now, though. I’ve never seen anyone in need of constant reinforcement the way Donald Trump is. Sure, you could see how much Rubio wanted the job, and as for Cruz, I can’t tell if he needs it or just can’t believe that someone so inferior to him intellectually has been in that job for 7+ years. But Donald, what he needs, I’d dare not imagine. I’d guess that Melania is going to be wearing the blonde wig and getting regular spankings until the real Megyn Kelly says something nice about the size of Trump’s fingers. That guy might not have enough money for the therapy sessions he needs. It’s unseemly to see him displaying all his needs. It’s like watching Carter beg for compliments.
The talent Paul Ryan really needs is the ability to buck up the GOP Congresspersons when the wave of MSM hostility hits them if they actually do try to reduce government spending, reduce bureaucracy and regulations, etc. It doesn’t matter whether they are facing a Republican or Democrat or Socialist President. He has to teach them to, or do it himself, get out there and storm the media with why we are doing it, why these agencies are worthless, or worse, hurting us, why accountability is important, and so forth.
Yes, they buckled under the sh*tstorm that hit them when they “shut down the government.” Boehner didn’t have the fire in him to rally the troops. I just hope Ryan does.
Nick…
That’s called ‘faking it until you make it.’
It’s very big in the Pick Up community… WRT becoming Alpha.
And, it has clearly worked its magic in real estate development until now.
Richard,
Weathering the wave of MSM hostility is easily accomplished, once a Congressman faces a simple truth; necessity now dictates, that sacrificing their political career is what they must do, for to do otherwise is to dishonor those who have given their very lives, so that they may live in freedom. Those in Congress have sought out the distinction of leadership and that office carries an inherent obligation, to prove themselves worthy of those who gave “that last full measure of devotion”. That our current representatives fall so far short of that mark is a reflection upon our failure as a people to make that expectation a non negotiable obligation. As a people, we ask too little of them because we ask too little of ourselves.
To deserve liberty, we must prove worthy of it.
Trump grows ever more unappealing with each self-inflicted face plant disaster. But the story at this advanced point is no longer about him, but his impervious supporters. Now that we are accustomed to the candidate’s unintelligible ramblings, our attention turns to those cheering him on. Though they strongly resemble humans, we are so embarrassed as to proclaim them something else. If the meteor landing on Trump’s minions takes us out as well, so be it we think.
GB…
Eric Hoffer stated clearly that humanity is only willing to defend its DREAMS… not its assets.
Bernie Sanders’ ‘economics’ exist only in a dream state — that is their power.
Whenever Socialism is attempted in practice it devolves into an economic scrum.
You dare not be in the bottom of that pile!
you think they are going to pay 25,000 a seat for nothing? you think being married to someone in upper management at one of the families companies that control the world is anti-establishment?
sure looks to me that the establishment means to win someone from their side, regardless of who, by having many many hands in a game against one opponent.
Ryan, Cruz, Romney, Kasich, Jebediah, are not part of the system that the middle class opposes?
image over substance wins and even shakespear cant asuage that with any lessons from the merchant of venice.
which is the safe bet, which is the risk that brings reward?
Ryan also stated 5 times he didn’t want to be Speaker. How did that work out?
I can only read this blog, Ace and Richard Fernandez (Belmont Club.) I also look at Patterico, but the first three are generally all I can handle anymore. Ace’s comments are so great, I often read them out loud to my husband and laugh raucously.
Didn’t you guys notice that the wealthy and the socialist left army are on the same page on everything and on what they are not the rabble is impotent to do anything about?
Wealthy want feminism as that destroys family, concentration of wealth, makes for cheaper labor, and negates potential families from growing and challenging the lehman family ( the goldman sachs family and the other families like rothchilds, morgan, house of saud, etc… abortion insures that families in opposition are not large and if they do something like make a 15 year old pregnant they wont have to pay for the kid who they cant disown from their wealth. Party on. (strom thurmond would have loved that to be legal when he made the 15 year old african americna girl pregnant, eh?)
The left loves feminism cause they think that its liberating, that its about freedom, and so on, and yet, these families are on the bottom economically, educationally, etc. they vote against themselves thinking they are voting against bankers, and such, but instead are doing exactly what the wealthy want.
The wealthy want high minimum wages, which is why Walmart lobbies for it. it puts the potential competition out of business and forces the poor to seek them out to be a part of any financial plus that they cant earn independently enough. New businesses cant start with high minimums, birth leave, and so on… so they are for it.
The socialist leftists think that high minimums are going to make them more money, and that prices are not going to rise, and no one will be fired and they can still start businesses and will be moral giants in poverty that they don’t think will exist
You can go down the list, and never once ask why the wealthy would give so much money to people who would, if they had their way, which they never do, take all their money and property from them. why keep that going? Because they are the people who want the left to make things like gay rights the norm (makes orgies more fun, eh?), children ok for sex (makes that ok too, no?), and any other perversion which the wealthy have been known for over a thousand years to want to do and not get in trouble for it from the more moral middle.
And when all is said and done, what will the new system be? oh, yeah, the wealthy will be on top with a slave caste on the bottom they don’t have to pay anymore to work. yeah, that’s freedom, and that’s giving it to the wealthy…
Fools…
blert,
I rather doubt that any of those who gave “their last, full measure of devotion” did so for a ‘dream’. They made the ultimate sacrifice for those they love, for their children’s children and for honor’s sake. There are no more precious assets than these.
Artfldgr,
Thank you for educating us on just how evil are “the wealthy”… minions of Satan, one and all! I wonder if secretely, their ancestry is Russian… and Jewish, of course. Orgies, greed, and purveyors of every perversion imaginable… Oh my!
In a better world, Ryan would stand up and say “if the voters think I can serve the country, I am open to nomination,” and Hillary would tell us “I am not running.”
That’s in a better world. Think of all the people would breathe a sigh of relief if Ms Rodham Clinton were to announce she wanted to spend more time with her family. That, blert, is MY dream.
Parker – when I read this: ” I doubt he possesses the spine, but I am willing to see how he would operate with a President Cruz’s budget proposals.” a wave of relief swept over me. I had never looked beyond the election to see how good the relationship would be.
From your keyboard to God’s ear is my most sincere wish.
we interupt this blog in progress for a report:
oh boy, Cruz just alienated italians by bringing up mafia and saying a scotsman is like an italian from sicily…
lets see how fast “Moses” can alienate various groups with smart ass quips to attack trump.
lets see.. though he was clever disparaging ny, and now is losing it big time.
now he said.
“Donald needs to understand he’s not Michael Corleone. I understand that Donald has had some very shady business deals with people that are currently in prison-mobsters. But the presidency should not be like Cosa Nostra and it is wrong for a presidential candidate or his henchmen.”
the boards are all lit up with italian americans yelling they just changed their vote..
funny, but it seems that after he has to call for a dinner to get 25,000 from wall street people to stay i the race, he seems to be imploding with his smear bs… lack of funds… and now, people are recognizing which candidates go with which super wealthy families that control world finance and own 80% of the federal reserve (and most of the forune 500)… kasich is with lehman family, cruz seems to be with goldman sachs who he borrowed from is his biggest donor who now is going to give him more and his wife is now in play cause, well the pack brought her in with their big mouth insults..
funny..
anyone have more butter for my popcorn?
i got this great chair from home depot with cup holder, and its comfy… but i need more butter for the show.
we now return to the blog in progress…
Geoffrey Britain Says: Thank you for educating us on just how evil are “the wealthy”…
i never said they were evil.. you did
i said they have different morals than the middle class
i also said i hung out with them….
nearly married one, and worked for several…
as to your jewish comment, well, yeah, lots of them. you have the rothschilds with over a trillion, and you have goldman sachs family who are also jewish, but the morgans are episcopalan… so im not sure how that fits, and i doubt the house of saud is jewish. how bout you?
please dont draw tin hat conclusions from the information that tin hats draw their conclusions from. the facts are real, the wacko conclusions are not
it keeps you from looking to the facts, dont it.
you just made a grade A example of how to hide facts by abusing them, and using or paying shills to do so.
i guess you missed the news article as to the very popular and posh sex parties… there is clinton and the pedophile flyhing to an island ot have them. then there was the article on how someone is making millions catering to them.. adnd you forgot the trapeze club which i have attended… yes, i have been to that and had friends who worked the hellfire club in nyc too.. then you also forgot the fact that benjiman franklin attended parties in englands helfire club, and then there is the club of rome..
[edited for length by n-n]
Geoffrey Britain you should really grow up… its about time… your petty bs shows a bad side of what usually is a decent person…
Hillary Confirms Trillion Dollar Tax Hike Plan…
Clinton Foundation Pays Male Execs 38% More Than Women…
[if they could have caught you know who with a 3% difference you would have heard it shouted from the roofs when they were yelling how much he hated women]
“You and I both have a lot riding on this election — the future of our country is at stake,” the email states. “I know not everyone can come to Cleveland — but you can still become an official Deputy Delegate for my campaign. Please don’t sit this one out!”
The message takes supporters to Cruz’s campaign donation page, which allows donations of $25 to $5,400 and promises to send the following “Deputy Delegate card” to Cruz contributors:
https://secure.campaignsolutions.com/tedcruz/list/tpi/d-card/?initiativekey=UPNRT856LFSQ
and as i predicted, send in the war games from the soviets and others.
USS Donald Cook buzzed again by Russian jets in Baltic
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/uss-donald-cook-buzzed-again-by-russian-jets-in-baltic/
what was that about yamentau mountain?
and check out the south china sea… where they are annexing other peoples land to get oil from other states withotu paying, and force an eventual conflict
but i was saying that almost a decade ago.
cant help if peoples view is nearsighted and not farsighted.
Geoffrey B — Too true. If you said to a Congresscritter, “It is time for us to pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor,” he (or she) would look at you as though you were a little green man who had just landed from Mars.
Artful, you have a lot of information which is sometimes interesting and useful, and as you have been here longer than I have, I know you’re not just a Trump shill based overseas somewhere. That said, every time you say “…the wealthy…” it makes you seem like any other petty lefty that I ignore both in real life and online.
Anyone who utters the phrase “…the wealthy…” is usually 1) a stupid, greedy, selfish child; 2) a lefty ideologue who blames “the rich” / “the wealthy” for everything because it’s easier to create a fake target on which to blame all ills of the world than to consider strategies to actually fix anything, which generally will require victim classes to be held accountable for having a hand in their own self-inflicted problems; or 3) actual activists looking to destabilize the situation – by rabble-rousing stupid children and self-loathing, self-flagellating lefties – for the benefit of the party employing them, or to which they are otherwise beholden. Which are you?
@ Nick – “History is already forgetting him (Obama).”
An outcome devoutly to be wished, as Jeeves said.