# The Agony of Paul Ryan: It's going to be a looooong five month, Paul **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [June 15, 2016, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-agony-of-paul-ryan-its-going-to-be-a-looooong-five-month-paul/757390 "2016-06-15T02:21:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-agony-of-paul-ryan-its-going-to-be-a-looooong-five-month-paul/757390/1 "2016-06-15T02:21:17Z")
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](http://time.com/4140558/paul-ryan-donald-trump-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.](http://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/01/politics/paul-ryan-donald-trump-kkk/index.html) **March 1** : Trump responds: [Donald Trump Threatens House Speaker Paul Ryan](http://fortune.com/2016/03/01/donald-trump-threatens-paul-ryan/) **May 3** : the headline Paul Ryan has been dreading: [Donald Trump: Presumptive GOP nominee](http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/03/politics/indiana-primary-highlights/) **May 6** : Paul Ryan is the shy virgin as the Prom approaches: [Paul Ryan: ‘I’m just not ready’ to back Donald Trump](http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/05/politics/paul-ryan-donald-trump-gop-nominee/) **May 9** : Paul Ryan and The Donald make nice, sorta: [Trump, Ryan tout unity in wake of meeting](http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/02/politics/paul-ryan-endorses-donald-trump/) **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](http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/08/politics/sarah-palin-paul-ryan-paul-nehlen-endorsement/) **May 28** : Trump shows his kinder, more sensitive side: [Trump Attacks a ‘Mexican’ U.S. Federal Judge](http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/05/trump-judge-gonzalo-curiel/484790/?utm_source=feed) **June 2** : Ryan finally caves; says “ahh, what the hell”: [Paul Ryan endorses Donald Trump](http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/02/politics/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](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/08/us/politics/paul-ryan-donald-trump-gonzalo-curiel.html?_r=0); [Paul Ryan rips Donald Trump remarks as ‘textbook definition of a racist comment’](http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/07/politics/paul-ryan-donald-trump-racist-comment/) **June 13** : Trumpeter-in-Chief Doubles/Triples down on religious bigotry: [Blaming Muslims After Attack, Donald Trump Tosses Pluralism Aside](http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/14/us/politics/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-speeches.html) **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.](http://www.wsj.com/articles/paul-ryan-dismisses-donald-trumps-response-to-orlando-shooting-1465920934) **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?](https://newrepublic.com/article/134254/donald-trump-stuck-script-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. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-agony-of-paul-ryan-its-going-to-be-a-looooong-five-month-paul/757390/2 "2016-06-15T02:51:47Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-agony-of-paul-ryan-its-going-to-be-a-looooong-five-month-paul/757390/3 "2016-06-15T02:54:59Z")
The Man himself, apparently. He doesn’t have a speechwriter on staff. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-agony-of-paul-ryan-its-going-to-be-a-looooong-five-month-paul/757390/4 "2016-06-15T02:59:20Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-agony-of-paul-ryan-its-going-to-be-a-looooong-five-month-paul/757390/5 "2016-06-15T03:00:23Z")
[Trump accuses soldiers of stealing millions while in Iraq](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wj1ybv8B9JI) Let the squirming commence. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-agony-of-paul-ryan-its-going-to-be-a-looooong-five-month-paul/757390/6 "2016-06-15T03:06:20Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-agony-of-paul-ryan-its-going-to-be-a-looooong-five-month-paul/757390/7 "2016-06-15T03:11:52Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > 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. So Ryan has neither principles or a spine. That’s some statesman, right there. I gotta say, Mitt Romney has never looked better. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-agony-of-paul-ryan-its-going-to-be-a-looooong-five-month-paul/757390/8 "2016-06-15T03:45:31Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > [Trump accuses soldiers of stealing millions while in Iraq](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wj1ybv8B9JI) > > Let the squirming commence. [He previously made the same accusation last October.](http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/oct/01/donald-trump-syrian-refugees-could-be-isis) It looks like nobody made a big deal out of it then. Of course, he wasn’t the presumptive nominee at that point. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-agony-of-paul-ryan-its-going-to-be-a-looooong-five-month-paul/757390/9 "2016-06-15T04:00:11Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > So Ryan has neither principles or a spine. That’s some statesman, right there. > > I gotta say, Mitt Romney has never looked better. Fuck me with a cattle prod, but George W. Bush has never looked better. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-agony-of-paul-ryan-its-going-to-be-a-looooong-five-month-paul/757390/10 "2016-06-15T04:01:59Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Fuck me with a cattle prod, but George W. Bush has never looked better. Sarah Palin has nev… It’s too terrible to contemplate. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-agony-of-paul-ryan-its-going-to-be-a-looooong-five-month-paul/757390/11 "2016-06-15T04:11:21Z")
You forgot how, today, Ryan said he won’t comment day-to-day in regards to his own endorsed nominee! > ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-agony-of-paul-ryan-its-going-to-be-a-looooong-five-month-paul/757390/12 "2016-06-15T12:28:03Z")
Yeah, it’s an unavoidable 5 month long train crash for Paul, Mitch, et al. Couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of guys. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-agony-of-paul-ryan-its-going-to-be-a-looooong-five-month-paul/757390/13 "2016-06-15T14:14:37Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-agony-of-paul-ryan-its-going-to-be-a-looooong-five-month-paul/757390/14 "2016-06-15T17:14:08Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-agony-of-paul-ryan-its-going-to-be-a-looooong-five-month-paul/757390/15 "2016-06-15T17:19:18Z")
Makes me wonder how Boehner would have handled this ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-agony-of-paul-ryan-its-going-to-be-a-looooong-five-month-paul/757390/16 "2016-06-15T17:19:44Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > 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. Wishful thinking, I suspect. But I hope you’re right. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-agony-of-paul-ryan-its-going-to-be-a-looooong-five-month-paul/757390/17 "2016-06-15T17:20:29Z")
> [@YogSothoth](#): > > Makes me wonder how Boehner would have handled this Retirement ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-agony-of-paul-ryan-its-going-to-be-a-looooong-five-month-paul/757390/18 "2016-06-15T17:54:50Z")
> [@YogSothoth](#): > > Makes me wonder how Boehner would have handled this Boehner’s probably sitting at home laughing his ass off because it’s not his problem. I know I would be. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-agony-of-paul-ryan-its-going-to-be-a-looooong-five-month-paul/757390/19 "2016-06-15T19:40:10Z")
> [@Catamount](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2016, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-agony-of-paul-ryan-its-going-to-be-a-looooong-five-month-paul/757390/20 "2016-06-15T19:55:02Z")
> [@YogSothoth](#): > > Makes me wonder how Boehner would have handled this Tears and alcohol. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-agony-of-paul-ryan-its-going-to-be-a-looooong-five-month-paul/757390.md?page=2)