Any attempt to nominate Ryan risks throwing the party further into flux. “For the nomination scenario to be realized, he’d have to resign as speaker, which would only introduce an entire new level of chaos to the party,” says Kevin Madden, a Republican strategist and former adviser to Romney’s presidential campaign. “It’s also impossible to see the Cruz or Kasich forces, which are fully invested efforts focused on the presidential nomination with delegates in hand, allowing an outsider to prevail.”
Additionally, GOP strategists say that even if Ryan wanted to be drafted to the nomination, it would be harmful to his own brand and political aspirations down the line.
“Grassroots conservatives and Republicans are saying, ‘We want a time-out from Washington elected officials,’” says Mueller, the GOP strategist. “And to suggest that now we’re going to have people in Washington hand-pick somebody, I don’t think is good for the brand Paul Ryan is trying to build … it doesn’t help him as speaker or down the road.”
The only conceivable way forward for a Ryan nomination is if delegates came together organically to support him, Mueller says. But that still isn’t likely, given the careful orchestration of delegates already under way by the other campaigns preparing for an open convention. What’s more, neither Trump nor Cruz would cede to another candidate, especially Ryan.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member