Can Paul Ryan Save His Party?

[CajunBlazer]

John Boehner is on his way out His surprise departure not only from the Speaker’s chair, but also from Congress was obviously hastened by his inability to control the rowdy Tea Party Representatives in the House who now refer to themselves as the Freedom Caucus. Their moniker obviously refers to their apparent freedom to cause absolute havoc for their party and the entire country.

The Republicans hold a hefty 247 to 188 majority in the House (their largest in the last 84 years) and the forty or so members of the Freedom Caucus represent only about 9% of the 435 house members. However, if the Freedom Caucus decides to not support legislation sponsored by the House Republican leadership, the Republicans cannot muster the 218 votes needed to pass the bill without the help of House Democrats. Given the extreme partisanship currently enveloping US politics, seeking help from the Democrats to pass legislation does not make mainstream Republican House members very popular with the voters back home.

Into the breach, very reluctantly, walks Paul Ryan. After House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Boehner’s Number 2 and heir apparent, wisely chose to bow out, Ryan literally became the last and only hope to unite House Republicans behind a single leader. At first Ryan set out some preconditions for taking the job. One of those conditions was the support of all three House Republican caucuses, including the Freedom Caucus. Another was the scrapping of rules which currently allows fellow Republicans to easily call for a vote to overthrow the Speaker. While agreeing that many of their caucus would support at Ryan for Speaker, the Freedom Caucus failed to agree, at least initially, to both of the conditions. However, Ryan finally decided to take the job anyway.

Ryan’s first tests on whether he can control his contingent are fast approaching. .......

Rest of article here: http://www.cajunscomments.com/can-paul-ryan-save-his-party/

[Rex]

1. .

[CajunBlazer]

5. A victory for Ryan may be a victory for Democrats - you obviously didn't read the article.

or you wouldn't be laughing.

[Rex]

24. No no no...I am laughing at the 'can he save his party' garbage.

More power to him.

[yeoman6987]

26. I wish the democratic party had it so bad

Republicans don't have the presidency. They have everything else including governorships and state legislature.

[emulatorloo]

2. No, he's part of the problem

[Gothmog]

3. Paul Ryan is doomed

[spanone]

4. cnn says he already has!

According to CNN, he's already done the impossible..'How Paul Ryan unified a fractured GOP'

Washington (CNN)Rep. Paul Ryan's winning pitch to House conservatives amounted to this: Let's start over.

For years, tensions had been boiling between the hard right of the Republican Party and the House leadership, a battle that effectively pushed Speaker John Boehner out of office and ended the bid of Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy to succeed him.

But Ryan, facing skepticism from hardliners in the House Freedom Caucus, spoke bluntly to the conservatives, telling them that he was more ideologically in line with them than with moderates in the so-called Tuesday Group. He said he was not the type of leader who is out to seek retribution, unlike past leaders.

The 45-year-old Wisconsin congressman said he would only push important bills such as immigration that have a majority of support from Republicans -- abiding by the "Hastert Rule." He promised bold policy ideas on the House floor like welfare reform, health care legislation and a tax overhaul -- and that the chamber would stand firm on those policy proposals with Senate Republicans and the White House. He softened his demand to roll back a procedure allowing lawmakers to overthrow a sitting speaker.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/22/politics/paul-ryan-house-speaker-announcement/

[Vinca]

6. Unless he promises ridiculous things to the "Freedom" caucus, he's going nowhere.

[CajunBlazer]

9. If you haven't read the article, how can you comment?

[Vinca]

29. Anyone not living under a rock knows what I said is true.

You're just fishing for hits on your web site.

[enid602]

16. Tea Party

It's always bad when you have a group of ideological purists in a party who demand that no progress be made until all of their demands are met. Requiring purity on voting records, primarying candidates, etc.

[tabasco]

7. Bwaaaahahahahahahaha!

Oh - that's a serious question?????

[CajunBlazer]

8. How can you comment if you haven't read the article? (n/t)

[tabasco]

14. How can you comment if you don't know if I read it or not? n/t

[CajunBlazer]

19. Because it is pretty obvious from your comment that you hadn't.

Tell the truth, had you read it?

[tblue37]

28. It's his site, so he can see whether hits are coming there from DU. nt

[truebluegreen]

10. No. Next question.

[CajunBlazer]

11. Are you prone to responding to articles you haven't read?

[truebluegreen]

18. What makes you think I didn't read it?

Because I disagree with the premise that the Republican party can be saved, by Paul Ryan or anyone else? It's not like there are a bunch of moderates over there who just need to be freed from the constraints of the Hastert rule: they are ALL batshit crazy. Some are just more willing to show it in public. Wearing rose-colored glasses isn't going to change that.

So again, the answer is "No. Next question."

[CajunBlazer]

20. So you didn't read it, right?

[BlueStater]

22. Are you five years old? Seriously?

I have no idea what you're trying to accomplish with your repetitive claim that people didn't read the article, but it's annoying. Please stop.

[CajunBlazer]

32. I'm just tired of folks who just read the title of a post.....

and then post some flippant reply without reading past the first sentence. It's annoying. It seems to me that if a post is not worth your time to read it, it also doesn't justify a reply. But hey, you can do as you please; just don't get up tight when I take exception.

[truebluegreen]

23. No, "wrong"

and "rose-colored glasses" is the kindest I can be. "Moderate Republicans," that's a howler. Don't you understand that the entire effing party basically thinks only the military is a legitimate function of government? Well, to be fair, that and controlling the wimmins. But certainly not infrastructure, food safety, environmental concerns, any kind of regulation, etc. etc. etc. As I said, only a few (The!Freedom!Caucus!) are willing to say that out loud but that IS what conservatives are: their hero is St Ronnie of the Raygun (or their vision of Him) and his nine scariest words: "We're from the government, and we're here to help."

Seriously. The author needs to wake the eff up.

[NightWatcher]

13. To save the party they'll have to destroy the party

then repopulate it with people who are not the slash and burn teabagger crazy.

[CajunBlazer]

21. The point of the article is how the Tea Baggers can be marginalized

[Gidney N Cloyd]

15. Paul Ryan is a symptom, not a cure.

[old guy]

17. Ahhh......no.

[trueblue2007]

25. no !!! PAUL RYAN IS A MONSTER.... just like all the GOPs

[tblue37]

27. You overlook the fear the establishment Republicans have of being primaried by a

Teajadist candidate funded by one of those rogue RW billionaires if the regular Republicans dare to cooperate in *any* way with Democrats. They aren't afraid of the "Freedom Caucus," but rather of the extremist base and of the billionaires whose money will fund the Tea Party opponent and the propaganda that will so easily convince the base to vote against their representative once he/she has been labeled a traitorous RINO.

[Chan790]

30. I think you're over-optimistic...

if you think Paul Ryan isn't a king shithead of the loonie wing of the fascist party.

I don't think he even wants to avoid those things...it wouldn't surprise me if he hadn't promised them a default and shutdown they so desperately want.

[CajunBlazer]

31. I would be willing to wager that Ryan wants to avoid a shut down at all costs

Yes, he is among the most conservative Republicans, and yes, he the sworn enemy of most who frequent this board, but he isn't stupid like some of Tea Baggers. He is an establishment Republican who is well aware of the costs of a default of the nations debt or yet another government shutdown would extract from his party. He knows that his conservative agenda is dead in the water unless the Republicans take back the Presidency and take more seats in the Senate. Allowing the Tea Baggers to again hold the country hostage would make attaining those goals impossible. Like I said, he isn't stupid.

[Skittles]

33. no

he'll be lucky if he can save his own ass

[tavernier]

34. No