With every Republican talking about little else for seven years, and with Trump in the White House, producing a repeal-and-replace bill should have been relatively low-hanging fruit.

But Friday’s second collapse of the effort suggests Ryan can’t deliver the GOP’s majority caucus. And if he can’t deliver it to drive a stake in ObamaCare, why should anyone think he can deliver it for tax reform or immigration, both of which will be even more contentious among Republicans?

And if he can’t deliver his majority for anything significant, why is he the speaker?

The noisy doubts about Ryan’s ability are quite a comedown. Not so long ago, he represented the fresh-faced future of the Republican Party.