Paul Ryan's cowardly neutrality on Trump

[jeaniebueller]

Sorry to be a posting AW today, but its been slow lately anyway

www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-paul-ryan-donald-trump-republican-party-20160324-story.html

efore House Speaker Paul Ryan's “Address on the State of American Politics” Wednesday, an aide went to the microphone to instruct the crowd.

“You don't have to save your applause to the end,” said the aide, Caleb Smith. “If he says something you like — clap. You know? You can stand up. It's fine.”

Forgive me if I don't join in the ovation.

Ryan's speech had the promise of boldness: Would the highest-ranking Republican in government, and the man many Republicans would like to see as their presidential nominee, finally denounce the racist demagogue who threatens to take over the party of Lincoln?
 

Alas, no. Ryan tiptoed, floating an alternative to Donald Trump's hatred but not mentioning the bigoted billionaire by name. “Instead of playing to your anxieties, we can appeal to your aspirations,” the speaker said. “We don't resort to scaring you; we dare to inspire you.”
“If someone has a bad idea,” Ryan lectured, “we don't insult them into agreeing with us.”

And who, pray tell, might be the target of this generic piety? One young man, after Ryan's prepared remarks, asked about the presidential race. “I'm not going to ask you to name names,” he began.

“I'm not going to,” Ryan interjected.

Ryan went out of his way to distribute blame. “How many of you find yourself shaking your head at what you see from both sides of the aisle?” he asked.

That, Mr. Speaker, is weak.

There is, in general, plenty of bad behavior on all sides. But the current crisis is very specific: A xenophobe who makes scapegoats of racial and religious minorities is threatening to take over the Republican Party and to throw the country into turmoil — and Ryan isn't denouncing him, or even saying he won't support him.
Ryan's event was ideal positioning for a nominee-in-waiting. He stood in front of five flags and behind a lectern labeled with the Twitter-friendly labels @speakerryan and #ConfidentAmerica. Two hundred interns filled the seats in the Ways and Means Committee room, where Ryan once presided. He wore a favored baby-blue tie, which brings out his eyes.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., 31, the youngest woman to be elected to Congress, introduced him as a “happy warrior” and repeatedly called him Paul. The speakership “was a job he didn't ask for but answered the call to serve,” she said.

Ryan, owning his establishment manacles, recalled that it was “a big deal” to be on Ways and Means. “We treated each other with respect. ... We disagreed without being disagreeable,” he said, contrasting that with the toxic discourse undermining government. “We don't have to accept it, and we cannot enable it,” Ryan said.

Yet Ryan is enabling it. “What role do you think members of Congress have in bringing the nation together?” one of the interns asked.

“It is not our job simply to say we are just as angry as the rest of everybody else, to put gas on the fire,” he said. At another point, he asserted: “I think how we conduct ourselves is very important, and we set an example and lead by example.”

Right. But leading by example means denouncing and disowning the demagogue in our midst. This is no time to play Switzerland.

Washington Post Writers Group

[jojoandleo]

Meh. I don't care anymore. It's too little too late at this point. Paul Ryan denouncing Trump would not make a single Trump supporter change his/her mind. Too late. The train left the station and is traveling at 120 mph. It's not going to be stopped by one man.

[secretlyevil]

What example does Ryan think he is setting? Certainly not a positive one.

[2curlydogs]

He's such a spineless weasel.

[bernsteincat]

Mar 24, 2016 9:54:22 GMT -5 jojoandleo said:

Meh. I don't care anymore. It's too little too late at this point. Paul Ryan denouncing Trump would not make a single Trump supporter change his/her mind. Too late. The train left the station and is traveling at 120 mph. It's not going to be stopped by one man.

[ESF]

Mar 24, 2016 9:54:22 GMT -5 jojoandleo said:

Meh. I don't care anymore. It's too little too late at this point. Paul Ryan denouncing Trump would not make a single Trump supporter change his/her mind. Too late. The train left the station and is traveling at 120 mph. It's not going to be stopped by one man.

Sure Paul Ryan alone can't stop Trump. And Trump supporters aren't going to change their minds.

But the GOP, if it's to function as a legitimate political party, needs leadership. Men and women who can articulate a vision for the party, who inspire, and can mobilize conservatives to work towards some common goal. By not condemning Trump, presenting a coherent vision, and contrasting his vision with the party's, the party is letting him define them.

If the party doesn't want to be defined by Trump, they need to stop letting him define them.

Ryan is choosing to let Trump define him. And for that, I will judge him.

[jeaniebueller]

I mean, is get serious with implying that the statements that HRC and Sanders have made are on par with the bullshit that Trump and Cruz are spewing?

[claudiajean]

Mar 24, 2016 9:54:22 GMT -5 jojoandleo said:

Meh. I don't care anymore. It's too little too late at this point. Paul Ryan denouncing Trump would not make a single Trump supporter change his/her mind. Too late. The train left the station and is traveling at 120 mph. It's not going to be stopped by one man.

This.  He's pretty much in a no-win situation. Anyone speaking out against Trump gets hit with attacks from all sides - too establishment, some will say. Going against the party, others will say.  Trump himself, etc. Plus every time Trump is attacked, it seems his base is further energized.

He's also facing the very real fear that Trump is going to be the nominee.  What does the Republican Speaker of the House do then? Campaign against his party's nominee?  Keep his head down and hope for the best?  I just don't see anyway Ryan comes out ahead in this battle at all.

[ESF]

Mar 24, 2016 10:38:42 GMT -5 claudiajean said:

Mar 24, 2016 9:54:22 GMT -5 jojoandleo said:

Meh. I don't care anymore. It's too little too late at this point. Paul Ryan denouncing Trump would not make a single Trump supporter change his/her mind. Too late. The train left the station and is traveling at 120 mph. It's not going to be stopped by one man.

This.  He's pretty much in a no-win situation. Anyone speaking out against Trump gets hit with attacks from all sides - too establishment, some will say. Going against the party, others will say.  Trump himself, etc. Plus every time Trump is attacked, it seems his base is further energized.

He's also facing the very real fear that Trump is going to be the nominee.  What does the Republican Speaker of the House do then? Campaign against his party's nominee?  Keep his head down and hope for the best?  I just don't see anyway Ryan comes out ahead in this battle at all.

Sure it's a no win situation. But he could lose with integrity or he could lose because he's a coward. He's chosen the latter.

Donald Trump is a disgusting, reckless, fascist, misogynistic racist piece of shit who will destroy this country. We aren't talking about a run of the mill far right nut, like Ted Cruz. We aren't talking about, say, Todd Akin or one of these other nitwits that says some dumbass things and holds some offensive ideas, but possesses some grasp of civics and isn't inciting angry hordes of racist, armed men. People like Cruz and Akin may want to pass horrible laws, and some of those laws may even be undemocratic, but even with the shut down the government stunts, they at least show some rudimentary understanding that their job is to function as a lawmaker in a democracy, not to be some kind of reality TV era version of Hitler.  Trump is dangerous. Not only if he gets elected, but just his campaign alone is going to be horrible for the country.
 
So yes, I think any America-loving adult with voting rights, an audience, or both, has a moral and ethical responsibility to campaign against Trump.  If Paul Ryan or anyone else for that matter thinks they must cling to the GOP at all costs, even when the GOP is defined by a ruthless, bigoted megalomaniac who is inciting hate, because they want to try to salvage what's left of their party and their political careers, they are shortsighted cowards.

[miniroller]

Can't nod my head in agreement any more vigorously ESF. So well said!

[2curlydogs]

Mar 24, 2016 10:38:42 GMT -5 claudiajean said:

Mar 24, 2016 9:54:22 GMT -5 jojoandleo said:

Meh. I don't care anymore. It's too little too late at this point. Paul Ryan denouncing Trump would not make a single Trump supporter change his/her mind. Too late. The train left the station and is traveling at 120 mph. It's not going to be stopped by one man.

This.  He's pretty much in a no-win situation. Anyone speaking out against Trump gets hit with attacks from all sides - too establishment, some will say. Going against the party, others will say.  Trump himself, etc. Plus every time Trump is attacked, it seems his base is further energized.

He's also facing the very real fear that Trump is going to be the nominee.  What does the Republican Speaker of the House do then? Campaign against his party's nominee?  Keep his head down and hope for the best?  I just don't see anyway Ryan comes out ahead in this battle at all.

He is up for re-election in 2017. My liberal ass would consider voting for him if he grew a fucking spine and said "The line must be drawn here! This far, no further!"