“Paul has the long game in mind”
Congressional supporters of Mr. Ryan describe his vote as an illustration of leadership. As chairman of the House Budget Committee, he was motivated by the chance to make the lower tax rates for most households permanent, these supporters say. And as a legislator whose actions are watched closely by fellow members, they add, he does not have the luxury of taking a purely ideological stance.
Mr. Ryan, his supporters say, did not necessarily return to the House to start building a presidential campaign. Instead, he is interested in continuing to mix things up as one of his party’s leading voices on budget matters. He is interested in forging an even tighter bond with Mr. Boehner as the fiscal fights play out, they say, starting in the coming weeks with a debate over whether to authorize raising the government’s borrowing limit and how to avoid deep across-the-board spending cuts set in motion by previous compromises…
“Paul has the long game in mind, so taking short-term pops at Boehner does not advance the conservative agenda,” an associate close to Mr. Ryan said. “He’s politically invested in his partnership with Boehner.”…
“I just don’t think 2016 is going to be litigated through the lens of this one vote,” said Kevin Madden, a Republican strategist and former adviser to Mitt Romney, “because in a month or two, we’re going to be onto a whole new deadline fight, and there will be plenty of votes and plenty of areas where you can still build your political profile and your electoral profile where you’re a viable candidate in 2016 — the full body of work so to speak.”
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Twisted Logic.
He voted Yes, because he really wants no?
portlandon on January 7, 2013 at 4:00 PM
None of these creeps give a damn about the out of control spending.
sharrukin on January 7, 2013 at 4:01 PM
You sure about that? I recall Rick Santorum’s past votes in the Senate coming back to bite him in the ass bigtime in the primaries. Hell, even Newt’s couch ad with Pelosi which didn’t even involve a vote or actual legislation caused him major problems with the conservative base.
Doughboy on January 7, 2013 at 4:03 PM
well, ryan voted for medicaid and he was still a “budget hero” when he was picked up for vp.
its true that a vote is meaningless…
nathor on January 7, 2013 at 4:03 PM
He voted for TARP, Medicare Part D, and the auto bailouts…but he hated every minute of it. /
sharrukin on January 7, 2013 at 4:05 PM
The base is not going to swallow Ryan after the 2012 defeat and now this sellout, but it’s not going to be Ryan in 2016 anyway. It’ll Jeb/Rubio.
Doomberg on January 7, 2013 at 4:10 PM
People were willing to give Ryan the benefit of the doubt because he’d been a locus of resistance to Obama and was generally liked better than Romney.
He just threw away most of the goodwill he had left, though. Even before this vote, there was mounting criticism for his past sellouts. It seems like politicians can “sin” a handful of times but past a certain point, the base’s confidence in them falls off a cliff.
Doomberg on January 7, 2013 at 4:12 PM
Take this to the bank, fools.
Schadenfreude on January 7, 2013 at 4:18 PM
I’d phrase it more like “he’s just smart enough to know what’s coming down the road”. Which is not pleasant.
MelonCollie on January 7, 2013 at 4:20 PM
Jeb Bush?! Hell no. I’ll take Paul Ryan over him any day. The last name alone disqualifies him.
Doughboy on January 7, 2013 at 4:23 PM
First, both Jeb and Rubio are from Florida. They cannot be on the same ticket. Second, you’re seriously lambasting Ryan about his votes but you think that the base is totally going to swallow George Dubya’s little brother?? Umm.. I guess that they want to lose. (Let’s have a third election about Bush).
Second, I do think that Ryan might be able to get away with things over the next four years and not get lambasted. Seriously..who are his main competition.. Marco Rubio? Jeb Bush? Bobby Jindal? Krispy Kreme? Rand Paul isn’t a serious candidate. He’ll be a perpetual “issue” candidate who will take over his father’s 10% movement and run every four years.
Both Gingrich and Santorum had other issues. Gingrich is basically an unlikeable jerk with ethics and hypocrisy problems. None of his former colleagues in the House endorsed him. He was sunk when people remembered he was Newt Gingrich. Santorum comes off as a scold. No one wants a politician telling them how to live their lives.
Illinidiva on January 7, 2013 at 4:24 PM
God I love these people. Washington, the only place where actions have no consequences.
HerneTheHunter on January 7, 2013 at 4:34 PM
They swallowed McCain, and then they swallowed Mitt Romney.
sharrukin on January 7, 2013 at 4:35 PM
You misunderstand. I don’t think the base is going to get its preferred candidate and I am expecting them to get “stuck” with Jeb the same way we got “stuck” with Romney. It seems clear the base is increasingly powerless to influence elections.
I’m expecting Jeb to run as being “next in line” like Romney. It’s worth noting that Palin did not become heir apparent after 2008, so I think it’s unlikely that Ryan is heir apparent for 2016. I think we’re likely to see Jeb at the top of the ticket, or failing Jeb, Rubio.
I didn’t realize Jeb and Rubio couldn’t run together, though.
Doomberg on January 7, 2013 at 4:41 PM
Yep.. Because there were no alternatives. Why the hell would they vote for a Bush retread when they can get either Ryan or Rubio? If they do that, then the R base deserves to lose another election. (Seriously, Jeb must have a Gingrich sized ego on him if he thinks that he is going to become President).
Illinidiva on January 7, 2013 at 4:43 PM
It’s a game. Open primaries, Democratic voting states open the GOP primaries, a barrage of media attacks, smears, truckloads of cash for the chosen candidate, vote-splitting candidates (by chance or by design) if their darling is threatened, and the lower participation in primaries means that they can fairly reasonably control who has any chance of winning. If that doesn’t work they can just change the rules like they did in favor of Romney in Florida, and against Paul at the convention.
sharrukin on January 7, 2013 at 4:54 PM
Palin had lots of black marks against her. Not finishing her term in office really hurt her future political prospects. And most indies I know have a violent reaction to her. Ryan starts out with a much cleaner slate. Liberals hate him for sure, but he is still a nice young family man (TM). It is definitely a demeanor thing; dorky even-keeled policy wonk plays better than rabble-rouser.
However, I do agree with you on Rubio. He checks alot of boxes for the Republicans. There is the Latino thing (although Cuban is different from Mexican people). There is also the working class background. And he is basically an Obama 2.0 celebrity politician who would appeal to the type of low information voters. I’d much prefer that this wasn’t the case, but am willing to bow to reality.
Illinidiva on January 7, 2013 at 5:07 PM
Reince Priebus is going to change the rules to disadvantage his good friend Paul Ryan?
Illinidiva on January 7, 2013 at 5:07 PM
Friendship? In politics?
sharrukin on January 7, 2013 at 5:11 PM
Pretty good summary.
MelonCollie on January 7, 2013 at 5:19 PM
Put another way.. What the hell does he actually gain by screwing over Ryan to facilitate an inevitable Jeb Bush loss? Wouldn’t shock me if Priebus resigns in 2014 from the RNC and runs Ryan’s campaign. If Ryan wins that could lead to a cushy promotion (Chief of Staff?) and lots and lots of money afterwards.. Sounds much better than going back to practicing law in Milwaukee. What pray tell is Jeb going to give him? There are lots of Bush loyalists who need to be given jobs if hell freezes over.
Illinidiva on January 7, 2013 at 5:21 PM
What does he gain by an inevitable Ryan loss? Even if they are friends there are limits.
It has as much to do with what people can do to you, as what they can do for you. The Bush clan has a lot of power in the GOP and Ryan is the guy who played second fiddle to the guy who lost last go round.
sharrukin on January 7, 2013 at 5:25 PM
Ryan has always sided with big government in his voting record. Only occasionally has he ever spoken rhetorically for smaller government. Even his roadmap is a roadmap to big government. The only difference is that instead of funding the actual parts of the government the Constitution explicitly give the government the power to spend, he moves more and more of the money over to the extra governmental (unconstitutional) aspect such as medicare and social security.
astonerii on January 7, 2013 at 6:02 PM
Ryan is a trooper..He is playing the long game…
Dire Straits on January 7, 2013 at 6:18 PM