No, No, I'm Not Running

Paul Ryan loves to play the reluctant virgin. Under no circumstances would he accept the job of Speaker of the House. He doesn't want it no matter what. After all who would want the most powerful position in Congress. Later he gave in and was deflowered.

As the Republican Presidential race began to devolve into a free for all that seems headed to an open convention, Paul Ryan once again donned his chastity belt. Open speculation of maybe  Ryan could ultimately be tapped as the nominee if those that actually ran can't win the first ballots. But no, Ryan protested, not me, I'm not looking for that. I'm the chairman of the Convention and just want to do my part.

Paul Ryan has released a video that he says is just informational in his role as Speaker. It looks and sounds like a direct message to the Republican Party at large that Paul Ryan, though reluctant, would, could and can rise to the occasion of these difficult times and deliver the party from hell.

Paul Ryan is a clever and hard working politician. It's a shame he continues to not do the people's business and rise to the level of Statesman and use his office for the good of all but that's merely a detail.

Though I firmly believe Mitt Romney is positioning himself to be the elder that the party turns to if the Convention falls apart there is no way they will do it. That leaves only one prominent nationally known Republican they can turn to and that is Paul Ryan. Young, loved by most conservatives and already vetted by his Vice-presidential run in 2012.

Ryan has said the nominee should be someone who ran and that is of course the right thing to say. It's also what had better happen if the Republican Party wants to survive in order to rebuild itself. It is certainly true that under party rules an outsider could be brought in at the last minute but it is a very bad idea. Most voters are unaware of the rules of their chosen parties and definitely in the modern age used to seeing the person with the most votes emerge as their candidate.

Ryan would be unwise to get drawn into such a mess. He has many potentially successful political years ahead of him including a Presidential run. He should wait and do it on his own terms.

Republicans may not like their choices but choose they must. Trump's self made problems and the hatred of Ted Cruz by the overwhelming majority of party officials in Washington puts the delegates in a difficult position if no one arrives at the Convention with the magic number of 1,237. Unless Trump collapses, which is unlikely, he is still the odds on favorite to emerge the victor on the first ballot because of his sheer number of votes. That said, Cruz is a clever tactician and could still pull off an upset. If Cruz is the nominee and goes on to lose the general election no one will be able to say this time that they lost because they didn't run a "true" conservative. The Republican Party will have to confront the fact that maybe their message and policy objectives just suck in the 21st century.

Paul Ryan should remain Speaker and not get lured on to the sacrificial cliff.