http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/03/paul-ryan-convention-president-political-suicideWhy the wunderkind House speaker would have to be crazy to try to steal the Republican nomination.
by
T.A. Frank
A few minutes ago, I happened to review the U.S. budget and observed that we could go from deficits to surplus by simply eliminating all social safety-net programs, including Medicaid. I plan on printing these papers out, naming the plan something august like Rise to Opportunity, and sending it to David Brooks with the hope that he’ll subsequently call it the “most courageous budget reform proposal any of us have seen in our lifetimes.” But if he doesn’t, I guess Paul Ryan will remain Washington’s favorite man of ideas.
Because Ryan is so beloved by many inside the Beltway, some are suggesting that he parachute into a contested Republican convention—one in which Donald Trump fails to win the 1,237 delegates required on the first vote—and become the party’s nominee. “If we don’t have a nominee who can win on the first ballot, I’m for none of the above,” said Ryan’s predecessor, former House Speaker John Boehner, a couple of weeks ago. “I’m for Paul Ryan to be our nominee.” Sure, Americans seem to be flirting with populism, but maybe what they really want deep down is upper-income tax cuts, Social Security private accounts, and more immigration? Add to that Ryan’s patented smile-frown of humble empathy, and he handily beats Hillary Clinton. It all makes sense.
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