August 6, 2016

Trump endorsing Paul Ryan.

Yesterday in Green Bay...


That's from a WaPo article about the challenge Paul Ryan faces in the primary next week here in Wisconsin. Excerpt from the article:
As the national GOP rushes to protect Ryan from the wrath of Trump, stars from the conservative counter-establishment — former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, columnist Michelle Malkin, and author Phyllis Schlafly, among others — have continued to stoke the fury here, with the faint and fading hope that Nehlen could close the gap in the final days and score an upset similar to the one in 2014 that toppled then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.).

“I think Paul Ryan is soon to be ‘Cantored,’ as in Eric Cantor,” Palin predicted to CNN in May. Minutes after Trump’s endorsement of Ryan on Friday, she took to Facebook to buck up Nehlen’s base, writing, “Wisconsin, please vote for this man ‘of the people’ this Tuesday!”

34 comments:

Fabi said...

It doesn't seem likely that Ryan will lose his primary race and I doubt that Trump's endorsement would have much impact when the few polls show Ryan with forty to sixty point leads.

Big Mike said...

I take it that Ryan needs Trump.

eric said...

The pressure for Trump to endorse Ryan was interesting.

I kept hearing two things.

1) Ryan is going to win this thing in a landslide.

2) Trump has no influence in this congressional district.

Seems incongruous with all the pressure on Trump to endorse.

Big Mike said...

I agree with eric ...

tim in vermont said...

I would like somebody to ask Ryan why he gave the Democrats everything they wanted on Obamacare in the budget deal and didn't ask anything in return.

Ryan is a sell-out, he sold us out. He would rather get invited to the right parties than to stand up for his base. He is the epitome of what Reagan was talking about when he said that when a man takes a mind to run for Congress, he wants to clean up the sewer there, but when he gets to Washington, it becomes a hot tub.

jg said...

unity PR

Hagar said...

It is probably a mistake for Trump to appear to have knuckled under to the pressure. He should have stayed neutral or made a joke of it.

John henry said...

I almost never give to politicians but I have sent several contributions to Nehlen totaling $130 I think.

I sure hope I didn't back a loser!

I just want to see Ryan go. You badgers can have him, just keep him out of US politics.

John Henry

SteveR said...

What a political embarrassment. Why does anyone care what Sarah Palin thinks or says.

Democrats are about winning -- even to the extent of rigging the nomination for HRC -- Republicans can't agree on anything. If we had a young, ideologically sound SCOTUS majority, I'd tell these idiots to go to hell.

Yancey Ward said...

It would be hilarious if Ryan now lost to Nehlen. First, I don't think the anti-Ryan conservative voters really care if Trump endorses or not, but an endorsement might well give incentive for cross-over voters to come in and vote for Nehlen just to stick it to Trump. Seriously, if I were a Democratic honcho, I would be busing Democrats to the polls on Tuesday. Part of me thinks this might be why Trump was willing to endorse him- he thinks it might actually hurt Ryan.

As for why the pressure on Trump, it is almost certain that Ryan, Ayotte, McCain are worried. Their internal polling must look concerning.

Yancey Ward said...

And, in Arizona, McCain is lucky to be facing 3 opponents rather than just one- otherwise he would be toast.

Anonymous said...

tim in vermont: I would like somebody to ask Ryan why he gave the Democrats everything they wanted on Obamacare in the budget deal and didn't ask anything in return.

Because he figured he could shaft his constituents and get re-elected anyway. If the polls are correct, he was right.

The better question is, why wouldn't he give the Dems everything they wanted on Obamacare, putting him in extra-good odor with K street and the donor class (wise long-term career move), if he can make the reasonable assumption that his constituents won't Cantor him?

I assume his shilly-shallying on TPP is a smart little hedge against possible voter grumpiness.

Anonymous said...

eric: Seems incongruous with all the pressure on Trump to endorse.

Ryan doesn't look like he's going anywhere, so if Trump wins he'll have to work with Ryan. Ryan doesn't need Trump at the moment.

rcocean said...

It was non-endorsement "endorsement". Trump waited so long, its obvious he doesn't mean it.

Good for him. Ryan has stabbed in the back every chance he's gotten.

I hope the asshole loses, but Wisconsin loves open borders and Globalization so he'll probably win.

Anonymous said...

Because he figured he could shaft his constituents and get re-elected anyway. If the polls are correct, he was right.

Talking to myself here - but did he even shaft his constituents? For all I know, the majority of his constituents are fine with his being a D in everything but name.

walter said...

Blogger eric said...
Seems incongruous with all the pressure on Trump to endorse.
--
As speaker, endorsement of Ryan has more to with party politics..unity etc, not Ryan's district...which he is not in danger of losing..despite Drudge's efforts.

walter said...

It is funny watching Trump champion McCain. I guess he hadn't looked ahead regarding these things. Of course hard core Trumpers will just say "he doesn't mean it", all part of his "master strategy" etc.

Original Mike said...

"He would rather get invited to the right parties than to stand up for his base. "

I generally have a lot of respect for your comments Tim, but Paul Ryan wants to get invited to the right parties? Really?

tim in vermont said...

but did he even shaft his constituents?

He is Speaker of the House, third in line to the presidency. It's obvious he doesn't give a flying fuck about the base of the party he purports to lead.

tim in vermont said...

but Paul Ryan wants to get invited to the right parties? Really?

You tell me why he did it then.

bagoh20 said...

Trump pisses people off and makes enemies for no gain, because he doesn't think first. That's stupid and very bad in a President. It may be a different kind of stupid than we are used to getting, but it is still stupid.

Original Mike said...

@Tim, my understandig, though you clearly follow this closer than I, is that Ryan is a family man who goes home every weekend. Do I have that wrong?

Original Mike said...

Doesn't Ryan sleep in his office during the week?

walter said...

Yes Mike...was part of his terms in accepting speakership.
Worth noting Nehlen has lived in the district for only a couple years.

Hey..where is Palin these days? Kinda low profile..like Christie.

Anonymous said...

Original Mike: I generally have a lot of respect for your comments Tim, but Paul Ryan wants to get invited to the right parties? Really?

What does "getting invited to the right parties" mean in Washington, OM? Not the party-hound or run-of-the-mill social climber meaning of "getting invited to the right parties".

It's a metaphor, for cryin' out loud.

Original Mike said...

Yes, fine, but I think this charge against Ryan is baseless.

Hagar said...

Actually, ideally the Speaker should be the Speaker for the whole House. The Republicans have another person to act as Majority Leader.

walter said...

Sure..but not in reality.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Paul Nehlen, House Speaker Paul Ryan’s Republican primary challenger, was ejected by Wisconsin GOP staffers from a Donald Trump rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin Friday night.

Nehlen was able to enter the premises of the rally before being urged to leave by individuals affiliated with the state party organization, according to his campaign. A Nehlen spokesman told The Daily Caller the Trump campaign had reached out and invited the congressional candidate to attend the rally earlier Friday.


Ooops, someone forgot to tell Paul Nehlen that Trump changed his mind.

Anonymous said...

Looks like Trump threw Palin and Nehlen under the bus in one mighty whoooooosh!

mockturtle said...

Nonsense! Everyone knows that Trump's endorsement of Ryan was made with fingers crossed.

jaed said...

I can't believe no one's remarked on this phrase yet:

the national GOP rushes to protect Ryan from the wrath of Trump

In fact, I can't believe Althouse herself quoted it without remarking on it. "The Wrath of Trump". What an evocative image.

mockturtle said...

It's the wrath of the Hildebeest and her minions I would fear.