"House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) has spent a lot of time denying any interest in the presidency.
Last week, when his office put out a 43-second video, the Drudge Report tweeted an all-caps siren reading “Paul Ryan launches first campaign ad?” Despite the video so resembling a campaign ad that even NPR’s Steve Inskeep joked this morning that he got choked up by the swelling music, Mr. Ryan’s people have aggressively swatted down speculation that the Congressman and unsuccessful 2012 vice presidential candidate was indeed waiting in the wings to be drafted should a consensus not be reached on any of the candidates who have been working to earn the votes of Republican primary voters over the last year.
..The Observer can now report that Todd Ricketts, the co-owner of the Chicago Cubs who is also the son of the founder of Ameritrade, is arranging a meeting of some of the GOP’s top financial bundlers, to be attended by Mr. Ryan. The meeting is to take place next week at the Mandarin Hotel and will be comprised of a discussion with “twenty or so” Republican donors, including Mr. Ricketts and several people he has raised money with before, such as Randy Kendrick, the wife of Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick.
...The planned meeting came to the attention of the Observer via one top Republican donor who was approached and described himself to the Observer as “disgusted that he [Ryan] is saying one thing publicly but secretly trying to garner support with all of these NeverTrump people talking about all their strategies to subvert the people who are voting for Trump and Cruz.” He declined to join the group and either did not know or would not reveal others who would be joining the secret meeting at the Mandarin."
7 comments:
Actually, Speaker is one of the sweetest deals going, so I really have a hard time buying Ryan being dumb enough to want to trade that for the chance of being President.
And we all know The Donald is talking deal with Kasich and Rubio (314 delegates, after all), so I'm waiting for the screaming from the Cruzzers about how it shows he'd not a Conservative. It may well be he's also talking deal with Scott Walker, which would be interesting.
So everybody's watching out for themselves and making deals as the Reinhard Heydrich of American politics tries to poach or steal every delegate imaginable and tap dance around the fact he's subverting the Constitution he says he loves by participating in conventions where opposition voters (any voters, really) aren't allowed.
In other news (can't wait for April, who's been pushing the same poll for 2 months, to tell us this means nothing), The Donald has a better favorable in the Empire State than Queen Cacklepants, up by 19.
Can Kasich and Rubio MAKE their delegate vote Trump. This is all a very interesting lesson in Civics.
Remember, Ryan also repeatedly denied he was going to be Speaker. Then he was.
deborah said...
Can Kasich and Rubio MAKE their delegate vote Trump. This is all a very interesting lesson in Civics.
Not on the first ballot. And it's not so much civics as party skullduggery (which may constitute sub-civics).
What can happen, and this is where things get interesting, is they can urge their people for whatever reason, that they must make common cause against Daddy. This should be especially easy for Rubio. Kasich is already working with Manafort, so the waters have been calmed there. If Walker is in on it, he may have some sway with some of the WI delegation.
In all, there are another 48 delegates (including Carson's 9, which, we safely can assume, will go to The Donald on round 2) (the RNC site has a somewhat different count).
PS The allegation has been made that Cruz is "offering delegates goodies" to support him after the first ballot. How close does that come to bribery, one asks (I know, Daddy is the Smartest Lawyer in History, but lots of smart guys have been nailed because they missed that one obscure regulation).
Amartel said...
Remember, Ryan also repeatedly denied he was going to be Speaker. Then he was.
Speaker is a much better gig than President. To be Speaker (or House Minority Leader when your party is out of power in the House), all you have to do is get elected from your district.
To be President, the country has to love you. It also only lasts 8 years.
Speaker can be a lifetime job.
Thanks, Ed.
re Speaker, I think you're right. He's young, and smart enough to know this would be political suicide. Better to build a reputation first.
Beneath that aww shucks Midwest veneer lies the scheming Machiavellian doe-eyed goober of ambition.
I think Donald has to call a Meeting of the Failed Reality Stars Justice League in the Fortress of Solitude and Hair Weaves under Trump Tower.
We need to counter them toot suite.
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