Not everyone who likes Trump is a racist. Many are, but many also think he can “make deals.” I once was speaking with a Trump supporter, she worked a sales clerk job at an airport, and I said “how will he work with Congress?” Her retort? “He’ll straighten them out.” Others think he is so rich “he has nothing to hide.” I’m not usually one for anecdote, but polls do not show his supporters much more racist than other GOP primary voters. The “20% of Trump voters oppose the emancipation” is a hoax.
I just don’t see how a last minute switch is going to work. Trump’s supporters feel alienated by the political system. How are they going to react if their nominee has the most delegates but the political system pulls strings to nominate somebody else? I can’t see how those Trump supporters are going to switch their votes to Ryan or anyone else who steals the nomination from their candidate.
I realize a lot of Sanders supporters are going to feel disillusioned also. But the situations are different. Sanders is clearly coming in second to Clinton; his supporters may be frustrated but they have to acknowledge Clinton got more votes. And Sanders isn’t Trump; I feel confident that Sanders will endorse Clinton and tell his supporters to vote for her. But I can’t imagine how the Republican party thinks it can bypass Trump at this point and get him to agree to it.
He also stated that he had no interest in being Speaker of the House. 
Ha ha, yes but he was never this categorical. And I think he was being honest, frankly. He didn’t want to be Speaker, he already had a great gig. But this time he’s flat out saying that the nominee should be someone already on the ballot. If they begged and begged to get him to change his mind on this one it would be a general election killer. Hey everyone! Vote for the guy who doesn’t want the job!
Eta: and he addressed that specifically. Basically, the Speakership was just taking another Senate job which is different than running for President.
See, I think we should go ahead and force whoever is the best candidate to be President, regardless of whether they want the job or not. Anyone that doesn’t actually want to be President despite being capable of being handed the job is likely someone who is quite principled and will do the job to the best of his abilities if such a thing is forced on him, right?
(I’m not 100% serious, but one of the main flaws of the electoral process is that we only get to chose from people who really really want the office, not all the people who would actually do a good job but don’t want to ruin their lives campaigning.)
To follow up on this; he has to know that pulling him out of a brokered convention as the candidate is guaranteed to lose and he wants nothing to do with it. It’s highly likely he is the 2020 Republican nominee (to me anyway).
Fun Fact: Paul Ryan was the VP candidate less than four years ago. I’m pretty sceptical he isn’t interested in the top job now. I think he just thinks (probably correctly), that taking it reluctantly looks better than sitting on the sidelines drooling over it (as Mitt Romney is currently doing).
If nominated and elected, Paul Ryan would always have the air of illegitimacy hanging over his head. Did not run and did not win any primaries, won because the stupid Republican Party cheated Donald Trump and voters out of their choice.
As Ted Cruz said, a brokered convention is a disaster.
Third party run is so stupid and suicidal for GOP, they are handing it to Hillary Clinton. Also third party candidates always lose elections. I wonder which idiot would run as a third party and make a fool of themselves?
This reminds me of the time I was trying to get a colleague to run for the chair of my department. Eventually, I told him it was irresponsible of him not to. He then replied that I certainly would want an irresponsible person as chair. (He did not run, incidentally).