The Agony of Paul Ryan: It's going to be a looooong five month, Paul

So, here’s the timeline for Paul Ryan’s dance with Donald Trump:

December 8, 2015: Speaker Paul Ryan Condemns Donald Trump’s Ban on Muslims

March 1: Paul Ryan states that anyone who wants the GOP nomination has to be willing to speak out against the KKK: Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell call out Trump on KKK.

March 1: Trump responds: Donald Trump Threatens House Speaker Paul Ryan

May 3: the headline Paul Ryan has been dreading: Donald Trump: Presumptive GOP nominee

May 6: Paul Ryan is the shy virgin as the Prom approaches: Paul Ryan: ‘I’m just not ready’ to back Donald Trump

May 9: Paul Ryan and The Donald make nice, sorta: Trump, Ryan tout unity in wake of meeting

May 9: Not good enough for Trumpeter Sarah Palin, who declares war on Ryan that same day: Sarah Palin will work to defeat Ryan in primary for Trump stance

May 28: Trump shows his kinder, more sensitive side: Trump Attacks a ‘Mexican’ U.S. Federal Judge

June 2: Ryan finally caves; says “ahh, what the hell”: Paul Ryan endorses Donald Trump

June 7: But Ryan pretends he still has some principles: Paul Ryan Calls Donald Trump’s Attack on Judge ‘Racist,’ but Still Backs Him; Paul Ryan rips Donald Trump remarks as ‘textbook definition of a racist comment’

June 13: Trumpeter-in-Chief Doubles/Triples down on religious bigotry: Blaming Muslims After Attack, Donald Trump Tosses Pluralism Aside

June 13: Ryan attacks Trump (but still apparently endorses him): Paul Ryan Dismisses Donald Trump’s Response to Orlando Shooting - House speaker reiterates his opposition to Trump’s call to ban Muslims from entering the U.S.

June 13: Ryan to Mitch McConnell: “Mitch! You said a teleprompter and a script would fix this! WTF do we do now?” Donald Trump Stuck to His Script. What Do GOP Leaders Say Now?
Face it Paul: you can come out of this with some principles intact; or you can support “Trump (R[acist])” for the White House. You can’t do both.

Was Ryan or McConnell or anyone from the RNC allowed to read the TelePrompTer speech before the short fingered vulgarian read it off? Who wrote that fucking thing, anyhow?

The Man himself, apparently. He doesn’t have a speechwriter on staff.

Paul Ryan is walking as tight and fine a line as he can. His long game is to play the moderate to Trumps whackadoodleness. Mildly condemn him when he has to, just enough to put some distance between them. Support him when he can, so that the rest of the Republican part is okay with him.

He’s doing his best to act the part of a statesman, keeping his cool in the face of a fluttering jackass and his fans. He’s playing the part of the only adult in the room to keep both sides from turning against him.

He only has to bide his time. I’d bet he’s confident of a Hillary win, but has to maintain face. He’ll run in 2020 and easily beat Hillary. Between now and then, the off-year voting will give him back the house and senate (or further empower the Republican hold on seats), he will have allies there, and a ‘mandate’ from the people.

Watch his manoeuvring from that perspective and everything really makes sense: play the long game.

Trump accuses soldiers of stealing millions while in Iraq

Let the squirming commence.

Ryan, the pusillanimous little shit, will beat Hillary in 2020 in the Presidential race? Just not seeing that. He will have stiff competition in the primaries from Cruz, and possibly Walker and Cotton, who will court the Screaming Mimi vote. Which will come out strong after four years of the Vagina President.

So Ryan has neither principles or a spine. That’s some statesman, right there.

I gotta say, Mitt Romney has never looked better.

He previously made the same accusation last October. It looks like nobody made a big deal out of it then. Of course, he wasn’t the presumptive nominee at that point.

Fuck me with a cattle prod, but George W. Bush has never looked better.

Sarah Palin has nev…
It’s too terrible to contemplate.

You forgot how, today, Ryan said he won’t comment day-to-day in regards to his own endorsed nominee!

Yeah, it’s an unavoidable 5 month long train crash for Paul, Mitch, et al.

Couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of guys.

As a Democrat who loathes Trump and thought better (a little, at least) of Ryan, I say: time to make some popcorn, sit back and enjoy the show.

Paul Ryan is the kind of guy that is going to lose the House for the Republican Party this year. No matter what Trump says or does, Ryan’s already endorsed him and won’t back away from that. Republicans who despise Trump will remember this, and stay home in droves. 2017 will have a Democratic House.

Makes me wonder how Boehner would have handled this

Wishful thinking, I suspect. But I hope you’re right.

Retirement

Boehner’s probably sitting at home laughing his ass off because it’s not his problem. I know I would be.

And Ryan only took the job with the condition that the party stayed in line. If they went batshit crazy, he was out.

Now it isn’t the House GOP that’s batshit crazy (or any more than usual) but instead the presumptive nominee. Ryan can’t quit without tanking his career, he can’t not support the nominee without tanking his career - so here he is going for a ride on the tilt o whirl - spinning at every opportunity and hoping he doesn’t spew.

Tears and alcohol.