Why doesn't Paul Ryan want to be Speaker? Says pal, 'Because he's not a f**king moron'

[eridani]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/10/09/1429804/-Why-doesn-t-Paul-Ryan-want-to-be-Speaker-Say-pal-Because-he-s-not-a-f-ing-moron

House Republicans met Friday morning to see what other crises they can create for national government while trying to find anyone that can get enough votes to become Speaker of the House. They did not find their new Speaker, but all eyes are still on Rep. Paul Ryan, and as of this morning, Ryan is still apparently not interested, and has good reason.

The former 2012 vice-presidential candidate isn't much more conservative that McCarthy, but he's arguably the one Republican with the national stature to overcome the reflexive insurrection from the right. So far, no good. "While I am grateful for the encouragement I've received, I will not be a candidate," the Wisconsin Republican said in a statement on Thursday.

Why not? A Ryan pal offered this explanation to me: "Because he's not a f---ing moron." Translation: Ryan has a real future. No speaker has ever been elected president (Since James Polk in the 1840s, anyway)—and no speaker dragged into ugly budget crises by his strife-stricken party is ever, ever going to be.

The pressure on him is still relentless and all reports say he's "getting bombarded with calls and one-on-one appeals from GOP lawmakers, urging him to be the party's white knight." Ryan cancelled all of his fundraisers for the next 48 hours, as well as a Ways and Means Committee hearing Friday morning.

[TrollBuster9090]

1. No kidding. Who'd want to be elected Captain of the Titanic when it's 30 seconds away from hitting

the iceberg.

Ryan's problem now becomes "Do I A) accept the speakership and be labelled as a traitor by the GOP base because I'll actually have to govern, or B) refuse to accept it and be labelled an obstinate killjoy who refuses to 'rescue' the Party."

[Javaman]

2. the real reason is simple...

those who become speaker rarely if ever run for prez.

he still has dreams of running.

and dreams they will remain.

[Hortensis]

13. That has to be a major, major reason. Also, someone pointed out that

Ryan has young children and is able to go home most days, attend their ball games, etc. If he were speaker, they'd see very little of him.

I do NOT like Ryan, his stature among his colleagues scares me, he's an extremely conservative libertarian, he's very dishonest, he's tight with the Kochs, and I'd prefer he be hit by a car than risk his getting near the presidency. I'd wondered, though, why we hear so little of him these days, and this seems a very believable reason. He's decided this is family time.

(At least until another offer he just cannot turn down comes along, anyway.)

[treestar]

3. Does he seriously think

he might be President at some point in the future? He IS a f----ing moron.

[Adrahil]

5. Or maybe Governor. He's an ambitious man... he won't settle for being...

.. the speaker of a completely disfunctional Congress.

[yellowcanine]

7. Actually he is not a moron and we should not underestimate him.

When the climate is right for a Republican President - and it will be, you can count on that - he will stand a good chance of getting elected, imo. I don't actually think it matters if he becomes Speaker of the House or not. It is conventional wisdom that a Speaker of the House stands little chance of becoming President. Conventional Wisdom has been wrong before.

[Hortensis]

14. +1 that. His ability to be a good president cannot be underestimated, but

his talent for becoming president should not be underestimated.

[kentuck]

4. Because it would probably be the end of his political career.

Nobody can work with the present Republican Party and he would end up in the same boat as John Boehner and his career could be over. That is the choice he will need to make.

[FSogol]

6. No, it is because he is not a leader. A real leader in the GOP could take over that mess,

forge alliances, find common ground, fix the mess, and pass legislation. Lucky for us, the GOP is a freaky collection of frauds, grifters, crybabies, holier-than-thou piss-ants, and con men. They cannot fix their shit. Not a single leader or leadership quality among any of them.

[flamingdem]

8. Yes, the GOP lacks talent in a major way

and Ryan is a light weight in it for the bennies. I loved how Biden demolished him in that debate.

[FSogol]

9. That was glorious. n/t

[marmar]

10. He's probably savvy enough to realize that being GOP Speaker is a career killer, but.....

..... he's never struck me as particularly bright. Typical frat type who think's he's much smarter than he actually is.

[GreatGazoo]

11. so Paul Ryan is a 'celibate moron' ?? n/t

[stevenleser]

12. It's like running for President of the Keystone Kops with Abbot and Costello as Lieutenants

Herding cats comes to mind.