# Paul Ryan is retiring, is that a good or bad thing? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 20, 2018, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-ryan-is-retiring-is-that-a-good-or-bad-thing/826443 "2018-12-20T20:49:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-ryan-is-retiring-is-that-a-good-or-bad-thing/826443/21 "2018-12-21T14:06:19Z")
He’s a spineless, dishonest toad, and good riddance. Not a “man of character” in the least, based on his public statements and performance. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-ryan-is-retiring-is-that-a-good-or-bad-thing/826443/22 "2018-12-21T14:07:04Z")
Maybe so. Ryan seems like a decent enough guy. But, I typically don’t personalize negative feelings towards politicians. I may strongly disagree with their position on public policies but it’s not personal for me. I am thankful Ryan’s entitlement reforms never took off. That could have hurt a lot of people. That is my main disagreement with his agenda. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-ryan-is-retiring-is-that-a-good-or-bad-thing/826443/23 "2018-12-21T14:26:10Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Ryan seems like a decent enough guy. > > But, I typically don’t personalize negative feelings towards politicians. I may strongly disagree with their position on public policies but it’s not personal for me. When politicians work to implement policies that will cause great harm to people, that is who they are. End of story. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-ryan-is-retiring-is-that-a-good-or-bad-thing/826443/24 "2018-12-21T14:39:56Z")
Ryan _was_ more mature, responsible, and principled than most Republicans in office nowadays. Which is a really damning observation on the rest of those yahoos, because he’s terrible on all those metrics. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-ryan-is-retiring-is-that-a-good-or-bad-thing/826443/25 "2018-12-21T14:42:51Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Maybe so. > > Ryan seems like a decent enough guy. > > But, I typically don’t personalize negative feelings towards politicians. I may strongly disagree with their position on public policies but it’s not personal for me. > > I am thankful Ryan’s entitlementreforms never took off. That could have hurt a lot of people. That is my main disagreement with his agenda. That’s fair if that is your view. But for a lot of us it is personal. Politics isn’t some abstract concept, it affects our lives deeply. Changes to the Healthcare system or going to war have huge effects on people’s day to day lives. The fact that Paul Ryan wanted to drastically increase medical expenses on the elderly just so he could implement some libertarian agenda, to a lot of us, shows a bad character. When you willingly cause other people suffering (suffering you yourself are shielded from) because of your ideology, that shows bad character. ---
**Author:** ![JB99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/439d5e/32.png) [@JB99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JB99)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-ryan-is-retiring-is-that-a-good-or-bad-thing/826443/26 "2018-12-21T15:53:54Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Maybe so. > > Ryan seems like a decent enough guy. > > But, I typically don’t personalize negative feelings towards politicians. I may strongly disagree with their position on public policies but it’s not personal for me. > > I am thankful Ryan’s entitlementreforms never took off. That could have hurt a lot of people. That is my main disagreement with his agenda. So if someone deliberately lies to you in order to implement policies that hurt the weakest and the most vulnerable, you don’t see that as a reflection of their character? ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-ryan-is-retiring-is-that-a-good-or-bad-thing/826443/27 "2018-12-21T16:24:09Z")
This thread Is missing a poll. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-ryan-is-retiring-is-that-a-good-or-bad-thing/826443/28 "2018-12-21T16:32:21Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Ryan seems like a decent enough guy. Again, how he comports himself is not a reflection of his character, or the damage he is doing. Honestly, a calm and pleasant demeanor are more dangerous because it fools people. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-ryan-is-retiring-is-that-a-good-or-bad-thing/826443/29 "2018-12-21T16:40:01Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > What does he do next? Two ways to go. > > If he wants money, he goes to K Street and becomes a highly paid hired gun. > > If he wants power, he goes back to Wisconsin, writes a couple of policy books no one reads, quietly goes around the country campaigning for other Republicans in 2020, runs for either governor or senator in 2022 and runs for president in 2024. > > Hell, even if he waits until 2028, he’d still be only 58. Or come back in 2019 as Pence’s VP? ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-ryan-is-retiring-is-that-a-good-or-bad-thing/826443/30 "2018-12-21T17:36:40Z")
Sadly, “public service” now simply refers to the apprenticeship one must serve before cashing in on books, paid speaking engagements, and lobbying. I have never considered running for public office, but if I did my platform would be “No second term. I’ll vote my conscience. And I promise not to make a penny from having served after I leave office.” There’s absolutely no way I’d ever be elected. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-ryan-is-retiring-is-that-a-good-or-bad-thing/826443/31 "2018-12-21T17:44:48Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > > [@kunilou](#): > > > > What does he do next? Two ways to go. > > > > If he wants money, he goes to K Street and becomes a highly paid hired gun. > > > > If he wants power, he goes back to Wisconsin, writes a couple of policy books no one reads, quietly goes around the country campaigning for other Republicans in 2020, runs for either governor or senator in 2022 and runs for president in 2024. > > > > Hell, even if he waits until 2028, he’d still be only 58. > > Or come back in 2019 as Pence’s VP? He already was VP candidate in 2012, running with Mitt Romney. Would he want to be second fiddle on the ticket again? And Pence seems so bland. I don’t see him running for president. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-ryan-is-retiring-is-that-a-good-or-bad-thing/826443/32 "2018-12-21T17:56:44Z")
He’s a mean little prick that would steal a fly from a blind spider. He’s obsessed with destroying Medicare and Social Security, even more than you typical garden-varietyk Republican. In his farewell address he boasted about how much they accomplished. What the fuck? This was one of the least consequential Congresses in history. Fuck him. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2018, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-ryan-is-retiring-is-that-a-good-or-bad-thing/826443/33 "2018-12-21T18:57:03Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > . . . it’s not personal for me. Well, it _ **is** _ personal if you’re basing your measurement of a public servant on his personality–because he “_seems_ like a decent enough guy.” It’s not like he’s elected just to hang out with you. And politicians are expert at projecting this type of image, which–in the case of Ryan–is just that: an image, which has little to do with how he functions as a law-maker. Unfortunately, most of the country votes this way–purely on how they perceive a candidate’s personality, usually ignorant of the candidate’s actual policies or actions. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paul-ryan-is-retiring-is-that-a-good-or-bad-thing/826443.md?page=1)